Platelet participation in hemostasis and arterial thrombosis requires the binding of glycoprotein (GP) Ibα to von Willebrand factor (vWF). Hemodynamic forces enhance this interaction, an effect mimicked by the substitution I546V in the vWF A1 domain. A water molecule becomes internalized near the deleted Ile methyl group. The change in hydrophobicity of the local environment causes positional changes propagated over a distance of 27 Å. As a consequence, a major reorientation of a peptide plane occurs in a surface loop involved in GP Ibα binding. This distinct vWF conformation shows increased platelet adhesion and provides a structural model for the initial regulation of thrombus formation.