The Hocking River is a river that drains part of southeast Ohio, mostly within the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau, although its headwaters are within glaciated territory. The most notable cities on the river are Lancaster, Logan, Nelsonville and Athens.

The headwaters of the river are in Bloom Township, Fairfield County, Ohio. The river then flows southeastwardly through Fairfield County, then through Hocking County, Ohio, through the Hocking Hills region, then through Athens County, Ohio to the Ohio River. Parts of Perry, Morgan, and Washington Counties are also within the watershed.

The name originally derives from a Native American name something like Hokhokken or Hokhochen, meaning "bottle-shaped" or "gourd-shaped", referring to the configuration of the river at Logan. The river was known as the Hockhocking River until about a century ago, when it became shortened to Hocking.

The Hocking canal once linked Athens with points upriver, but was destroyed by flooding and never rebuilt.

Major tributaries to the Hocking include (downriver to upriver) Federal Creek, Margaret Creek, Sunday Creek and Monday Creek.

See also

• List of Ohio rivers