Puget Sound

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Coordinates: 47°49′59″N 122°26′04″W / 47.83315°N 122.43458°W / 47.83315; -122.43458 Puget Sound Puget Sound - MODIS image Named for: Peter Puget Country United States State Washington Region puget sound lowlands Cities Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Everett, Bremerton Rivers Deschutes River, Nisqually River, Puyallup River, Duwamish River, Cedar River, Snohomish River, Stillaguamish River, Skagit River, Skokomish River Coordinates 47°49′59″N 122°26′04″W / 47.83315°N 122.43458°W / 47.83315; -122.43458 Length 100 mi (161 km) Width 10 mi (16 km) Depth 205 ft (62 m) Volume Basin 12,138 sq mi (31,437 km2) Area 1,020 sq mi (2,642 km2) Discharge  - average 41,000 cu ft/s (1,161 m3/s)  - max 367,000 cu ft/s (10,392 m3/s)  - min 14,000 cu ft/s (396 m3/s)

Puget Sound /ˈpjuːdʒɪt/ is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the open Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and Deception Pass being the minor. Flow through Deception Pass accounts for about 2% of the total tidal exchange between Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Puget Sound extends approximately 100 miles (160 km) from Deception Pass in the north to Olympia, Washington in the south. Its average depth is 205 feet (62 m) and its maximum depth, off Point Jefferson between Indianola and Kingston, is 930 feet (280 m). The depth of the main basin, between the southern tip of Whidbey Island and Tacoma, Washington, is approximately 600 feet (180 m).

The term "Puget Sound" is used not just for the body of water but also the Puget Sound region centered on the sound.