Puyallup River
| Puyallup River | |
| River | |
 View of the Puyallup River between River Road and North Levee Road (the river separates Fife from Tacoma).
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Washington |
| Counties | Pierce |
| Tributaries | |
| - right | Mowich River, Carbon River, White River |
| Cities | Orting, Puyallup, Tacoma |
| Source | Mount Rainier |
| - elevation | 2,280 ft (695 m) |
| - coordinates | 46°51′50″N 121°57′4″W / 46.86389°N 121.95111°W |
| Mouth | Puget Sound |
| - location | Commencement Bay |
| - elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| - coordinates | 47°16′10″N 122°25′42″W / 47.26944°N 122.42833°WCoordinates: 47°16′10″N 122°25′42″W / 47.26944°N 122.42833°W |
| Length | 45 mi (72 km) |
| Basin | 948 sq mi (2,455 km2) |
| Discharge | for Puyallup |
| - average | 3,313 cu ft/s (94 m3/s) |
| - max | 57,000 cu ft/s (1,614 m3/s) |
| - min | 400 cu ft/s (11 m3/s) |
 Map of the Puyallup River watershed
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  Mouth of the Puyallup River in Washington
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The Puyallup River (/pjuːˈæləp/ pew-AL-əp) is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. About 45 miles (72 km) long, it is formed by glaciers on the west side of Mount Rainier. It flows generally northwest, emptying into Commencement Bay, part of Puget Sound. The river and its tributaries drain an area of about 948 square miles (2,460 km2) in Pierce County and southern King County.
The river's watershed is the youngest in the Puget Sound region, having been formed from a series of lahars starting about 5,600 years ago. The valley's 150,000 residents are at risk from future lahars. For this reason, the United States Geological Survey has installed a lahar warning system.
The Puyallup River begins in two forks, the North Puyallup River and the South Puyallup River. Both originate at glaciers on Mount Rainier. The North Puyallup River flows from the toe of Puyallup Glacier, while the South Puyallup River flows from Tahoma Glacier. The two streams flow through the western part of Mount Rainier National Park, joining just outside the park boundary and forming the Puyallup River proper.
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