The river flows northward through
North Padang Lawas,
South and
Labuhan Batu Regency before reaching Sumatra's east coast with its estuary in
Malacca Strait. The largest town on the Barumun is
Kotapinang, the administrative capital of South Labuhan Batu Regency, with a population of 70,507 people in mid 2024, while the largest town in the Barumun River basin is
Rantau Prapat (in Labuhan Batu Regency), which is located on the
Bilah tributary with a population of 180,540 according to the official estimates as at mid 2024. It is the largest river in Sumatra with a length of about 440 km. Tributaries include the
Bilah, Kanan, Batang Pane, Sihapas and Aek Sangkilon. All tributaries of Barumun River are sourced from mountainous areas along
Barisan Mountains. ==Geography==