Puget Sound

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For the geographical region, see Puget Sound region. For the university with this name, see University of Puget Sound.

Puget Sound
Puget Sound – MODIS image
Named for: Peter Puget
Country	United States
State	Washington
Region	Puget Sound Lowlands
Cities	Seattle, Tacoma, Washington, Olympia, Everett, Bremerton
Rivers	Deschutes River, Nisqually River, Puyallup River, Duwamish River, Cedar River, Snohomish River, Stillaguamish River, Skagit River, Skokomish River
Coordinates	47.6°N 122.4°WCoordinates: 47.6°N 122.4°W
Length	100 mi (161 km) [1]
Width	10 mi (16 km)
Depth	930 ft (283 m) [1]
Volume	26.5 cu mi (110 km3) [1]
Basin	12,138 sq mi (31,437 km2) [2]
Area	1,020 sq mi (2,642 km2) [1]
Discharge
- average	41,000 cu ft/s (1,161 m3/s) [1]
- 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 along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is a complex estuarine^[3] system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and two minor connections to the open Pacific Ocean via the Strait of Juan de Fuca—Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and Deception Pass and Swinomish Channel being the minor. Flow through Deception Pass is approximately equal to 2% of the total tidal exchange between Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.^[1] Puget Sound extends approximately 100 miles (160 km) from Deception Pass in the north to Olympia, Washington in the south. Its average depth is 450 feet (140 m)^[4] 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).^[1]
Since 2009, the term Salish Sea has been established by the United States Board on Geographic Names as the collective waters of Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Strait of Georgia. Sometimes the terms "Puget Sound" and "Puget Sound and adjacent waters" are used for not only Puget Sound proper but also for waters to the north, such as Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands region.^[5]
The term "Puget Sound" is used not just for the body of water but also the Puget Sound region centered on the sound. Major cities on the sound include Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, and Everett, Washington.
Puget Sound is also the second largest estuary in the United States, behind Chesapeake Bay.^[6]