[2] The source of the Artibonite is to the northeast of Río Limpio, in the Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic.

The most important tributaries are the Libón and Macasía in the Dominican Republic, and the Rivière de Fer à Cheval in Haiti.

Deforestation and pollution has negatively affected the quality and amount of water in the Artibonite in the Dominican Republic, and even more so in Haiti.

American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) once inhabited the Artibonite and other rivers of Hispaniola,[3] but now they are found only in the large lakes of the island (Lago Enriquillo and Etang Saumâtre).

The water of the river is used for irrigation in Haiti, but not in the Dominican Republic, because it flows here through high mountains.