Indian River is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Cheboygan County in the U.S. state of Michigan.

As an unincorporated community, Indian River has no legal autonomy of its own but does have its own post office with the 49749 ZIP Code, which also serves small portions of several surrounding townships.

The community was founded two years later by land owner Floyd Martin and surveyed and platted by Oliver Hayden by 1880.

The new settlement was named after the Indian River, which flows through the community.

The National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods, an open-air sanctuary, is located in Indian River and dedicated to Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American saint.

29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.