| Patawalonga Patawalonga Creek | |
|---|---|
 The Patawalonga River near its mouth | |
  Location of the river mouth in South Australia | |
| Nickname(s) | The Pat |
| Location | |
| Country | Australia |
| State | South Australia |
| Region | Metropolitan Adelaide |
| District | Cowandilla Plains |
| Towns | Glenelg |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | near Adelaide Airport |
| Mouth | Gulf St Vincent |
• location | Glenelg North |
• coordinates | 34°58′12″S 138°30′49″E / 34.9700°S 138.5136°E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 7 km (4.3 mi) |
| Basin size | 210 km2 (81 sq mi) |
The Patawalonga River is a river located in the western suburbs of the Adelaide metropolitan area, in the Australian state of South Australia. It drains an area of flat, swampy lands formerly known as the Cowandilla Plains or The Reedbeds, which in the mid-20th century were drained by engineering works, enabling the establishment of Adelaide Airport and the development of residential housing.
Its catchment area is in the western Adelaide Hills, and it drains into Gulf St Vincent south of Glenelg. The Barcoo Outlet was completed in 2001 to divert dirty stormwater from the river mouth and out to sea and creating a small lake or lagoon at the river mouth instead. There was a large flood in 2003, which flooded homes in the vicinity.
Its name is derived from the Kaurna language, meaning "the place of the swamp gum".