Pre-production plastic pellets (nurdles) are a pervasive but understudied component of freshwater plastic pollution. Whereas most plastic pollution has diffuse sources, nurdles can originate from point sources associated with plastic manufacturing, transport, and storage. However, few studies have quantified spatial variation in nurdle abundance or evaluated how distribution patterns reflect proximity to potential sources. We investigated the distribution of nurdles relative to a suspected point source along a 5.3 km reach of the Middle Fork of the North Branch of the Chicago River (Illinois, USA), an urban stream with a suspected industrial input. Sampling sites were established upstream, at, and downstream of a drainage pipe connected to a plastic manufacturing facility (N = 9). At each site, we quantified nurdle density within riparian and in-stream habitats and measured channel characteristics and discharge. Nurdles in transport were sampled using surface nets deployed over short (10 min) and extended (24 h) intervals. Laboratory analyses included quantification of nurdle density (count and mass per area) and polymer identification. Results showed that nurdles were absent at upstream sites and present at all downstream sites, consistent with a localized point-source input. Preliminary spatial patterns suggest that nurdle density did not peak immediately downstream of the source, but instead farther downstream, potentially reflecting variation in transport and retention influenced by habitat structure and pulsed nurdle release. Polymer composition was dominated by polyethylene. Ongoing analyses will further evaluate spatial patterns in nurdle density, mass, and composition across habitats and sampling periods. Results from this study contribute to understanding point-source plastic pollution in urban rivers and inform targeted mitigation strategies.