To solve the problem of fault location in a distribution network connected with short lines, a fault location method considering refraction and reflection of short lines is proposed. First, the initial fault voltage and current traveling wave are extracted at the head of each line and the fault line can be estimated by the polarity of voltage and current traveling wave. Then the modulus time difference detected at both ends of the fault line can be used to identify whether the fault occurs at the first or the second half of the line. Finally, the accurate location of the fault can be calculated on the basis of the first two arrival times of the aerial-mode voltage traveling wave. A 10 kV contribution network connected with short lines is built in PSCAD/EMTDC and various fault simulations are conducted. The results show that the proposed scheme can locate the fault with high accuracy and doesn’t require accurate synchronization. In addition, the scheme is not affected by fault distance, resistance or inception angle. This demonstrates high economic efficiency and engineering practicability. This work is supported by Science and Technology Project of State Grid Corporation of China (No. J2018078) and Science and Technology Project of State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co., Ltd. (No. J2018036 and No. J2019117).