Cedar River (Washington)

This article is about the river in King County. For the river in Pacific County, see Cedar River (Willapa Bay).
Cedar River
Cedar River in Downtown Renton in 2009
Map of the Lake Washington drainage basin with the Cedar River highlighted
Cedar River (Washington) is located in Washington (state)
Cedar River (Washington)
Location of the mouth of the Cedar River in Washington
Cedar River (Washington) is located in the United States
Cedar River (Washington)
Cedar River (Washington) (the United States)
Location
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyKing
CitiesMaple Valley, Renton
Physical characteristics
SourceCascade Range
 • coordinates47°18′47″N 121°31′17″W / 47.31306°N 121.52139°W / 47.31306; -121.52139[1]
 • elevation2,220 ft (680 m)[2]
MouthLake Washington
 • coordinates
47°30′2″N 122°12′58″W / 47.50056°N 122.21611°W / 47.50056; -122.21611[1]
 • elevation
17 ft (5.2 m)[2]
Length45 mi (72 km)[3]
Basin size184 sq mi (480 km2)[4]
Discharge 
 • locationRenton[4]
 • average659 cu ft/s (18.7 m3/s)[4]
 • minimum30 cu ft/s (0.85 m3/s)
 • maximum10,600 cu ft/s (300 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftRex River

The Cedar River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. About 45 miles (72 km) long, it originates in the Cascade Range and flows generally west and northwest, emptying into the southern end of Lake Washington. Its upper watershed is a protected area called the Cedar River Watershed, which provides drinking water for the greater Seattle area.

The Cedar River drains into Puget Sound via Lake Washington and the Lake Washington Ship Canal.

  1. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Cedar River (Washington)
  2. ^ a b Google Earth elevation for GNIS coordinates.
  3. ^ Cedar River Archived 2004-11-29 at the Wayback Machine, The Columbia Gazetteer of North America
  4. ^ a b c Lake Washington Basin, Water Resource Data, Washington, 2005, USGS.