Little River is a small census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. It lies at an elevation of 66 feet, 3 miles south of the town of Mendocino and running along the Pacific Ocean coast on State Route 1. The town takes its name from the nearby Little River. The town center sits on a scenic bluff overlooking the mouth of the Little River and hosts a grocery store, two gas pumps, a post office, and a restaurant within a single structure.