The River rises in the Burra Range, part of the Great Dividing Range,[4] 110 kilometres (68 mi) north-east of Hughenden and flows in a westerly direction past Hughenden, Richmond and Julia Creek, then north-west to the Gulf of Carpentaria 25 km (16 mi) west of Karumba.

[2] Several towns are located within the catchment including: McKinlay, Burke and Wills Junction, Hughenden, Richmond, Julia Creek and Cloncurry.

[9] A large, flat clay pan is located in the area where the Flinders, Gregory and Leichhardt Rivers enter the Gulf.

Infestations of weeds such as Prickly acacia, Noogoora burr, Rubber vine and Chonky apple are also found.

[12] The understorey is dominated by a closed cover of riparian grasses including native couch on the sandy loams adjacent the stream channels.

[4] Jirandali (also known as Yirandali, Warungu, and Yirandhali) is an Australian Aboriginal language of North-West Queensland, particularly the Hughenden area.

The language region includes the local government area of the Shire of Flinders, including Dutton River, Flinders River, Mount Sturgeon, Caledonia, Richmond, Corfield, Winton, Torrens, Tower Hill, Landsborough Creek, Lammermoor, Hughenden, and Tangorin.

[16] Robert O'Hara Burke, William John Wills and Charles Gray reached the river delta in 1861, completing the goal of their expedition to cross the continent from south to north.

[7] Heavy rainfall in Queensland in early 2019 resulted in major flooding along the Flinders, considered the worst in half a century.