It was named after Frank Ludlow, one of the first Western Australian colonists, an arrival on the barque Parmelia in 1829, who explored the locality in 1834.

The river flows in a north-westerly direction through Yoganup then through Ludlow and discharges into the Wonnerup Estuary and thence into Geographe Bay and the Indian Ocean.

The Ludlow is located in the Vasse-Wonnerup Conservation District within the Geographe Catchment Area along with the Abba and Sabina Rivers.

The majority of the foreshore of the river has been cleared and only 5% is in pristine condition.

This article related to a river in Western Australia is a stub.