Historical data show that each of the 10 great changes of the Huanghe River Estuary (HRE) that occurred since 1855 influenced greatly the current field in its adjacent shelf area. Taking the latest change as an example, this paper analyzes the basic behaviours of tidal and residual currents before and after the change. The main conclusions from this study are as follows.(1) The frequent changes of the HRE have changed the properties of tidal currents in some nearshore area off the Huanghe River Delta (HRD).For example, tidal currents in the offshore area betewwn the Shenxiangou Dtream Outlet (SSO)and the Diaokouhe Stream Outlet (DSO),used to be regularly semi-diurnal in 1958-1959 when the HRE was located around the SSO, became irregularly semi-diurnal in 1965 when the HRE was located around the DSO. (2) Although tidal currents in the most nearshore section off the HRD are approximately rectilinear, with the major axis of the current ellipse roughly parallel to the coast, the M2 constituent of tidal current on both sides of the waterrunning HRE is of rotary characteristic and varies with the change of the HRE.(3) There exist two characteristically high current speed regions off the HRD. One is associated with the amphidromic point of the M2 constituent off the SSO, the other with the water-running HRE, and varies with the change of the HRE. (4)The residual currents off the HRD are mainly wind-driven currents with significant seasonal variation. (5)There are many unstable meso-scale eddies off the waterrunning HRE, which cause local upwelling.