The Snohomish River is a river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Washington, formed by the confluence of the Skykomish

Skykomish River

The Skykomish River is a Washington river which drains the west side of the Cascade Mountains in the southeast section of Snohomish County and the northeast corner of King County. The river starts with the confluence of the North Fork Skykomish River and South Fork Skykomish River approximately one...

 and Snoqualmie

Snoqualmie River

The Snoqualmie River is a long river in King County and Snohomish County in the U.S. state of Washington. The river's three main tributaries are the North, Middle, and South Forks, which drain the west side of the Cascade Mountains near the town of North Bend and join near the town of Snoqualmie...

 rivers near Monroe

Monroe, Washington

Monroe is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population as of 17,304 at the 2010 census.-History:The history of Monroe is intertwined with that of the Great Northern Railway which pushed over the Cascade Range at Stevens Pass and worked its way down the Skykomish River...

. It flows northwest entering Port Gardner Bay

Port Gardner Bay

Port Gardner is an inlet of Possession Sound on which the city of Everett, Washington is located. The Snohomish River flows into the bay.It was named by George Vancouver for his patron and former commander, Alan Gardner. Vancouver meant the name to apply to all of Saratoga Passage, but over time it...

, part of Puget Sound

Puget Sound

Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. 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 Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...

, between Everett

Everett, Washington

Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...

 and Marysville

Marysville, Washington

Marysville is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 60,020 at the 2010 census. Marysville is known as "The Strawberry City" due to the large number of strawberry farms that once surrounded the city in its earlier days. Over the past decade, and continuing...

. The Pilchuck River

Pilchuck River

The Pilchuck River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. The name is derived from Chinook Jargon pilpil and chuck , or "red water".-Course:...

 is its main tributary and joins the river at Snohomish

Snohomish, Washington

Snohomish is a city in Snohomish County founded by the british, Washington, United States. The population was 9,098 at the 2010 census. The mayor of Snohomish is Karen Guzak, and the City Manager is Larry Bauman...

. The river system drains the west side of the Cascade Mountains from Snoqualmie Pass

Snoqualmie Pass

Snoqualmie Pass is a mountain pass that carries Interstate 90 through the Cascade Range in the U.S. State of Washington. The elevation of the pass summit is , and is on the county line between Kittitas County and King County...

 to north of Stevens Pass

Stevens Pass

Stevens Pass is a mountain pass through the Cascade Mountains located at the border of King County and Chelan County in Washington, United States....

.
Measured at Monroe, the Snohomish River has an average annual flow of 9,500 ft³/s. In comparison, the Columbia River

Columbia River

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...

, Washington's largest river, has an average flow of about 265000 ft3/s.