Columbia River Map
The Columbia River is a 2,000 km (1,240 mi) river through 2 countries. This map shows its course from Columbia Lake to the Pacific Ocean on shaded relief, with its river network, lakes, borders and major cities.
How to read this map
The Columbia River is about 2,000 km (1,240 mi) long and drains a basin of about 668,000 km² (258,000 sq mi). Its average discharge is about 7,500 m³/s (265,000 cu ft/s). It rises at Columbia Lake and flows into the Pacific Ocean. It flows through or along Washington and Oregon. Tributaries include Kootenay River, Pend Oreille River, Spokane River, Snake River, Deschutes River, Willamette River, Okanogan River and Yakima River.
The highlighted blue line is the course of the Columbia River as mapped by Natural Earth. Towns and cities on the map include Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, Calgary, Edmonton, Salt Lake City, Tacoma and Everett. Labeled states and countries: Washington, Idaho, Montana, Saskatchewan, California, Oregon and Wyoming.
Greens show lower elevations; tan and brown show higher land, with pale tones toward the highest terrain. Shadows emphasize the slopes, and vertical relief is exaggerated so landforms are easier to read. Dashed lines show country borders, and fine dashed lines show state or province borders.
The relief uses Terrain Tiles (SRTM, GMTED2010 and ETOPO1 elevation data). Rivers, lakes, borders and the course of the Columbia River come from Natural Earth, and the figures on this page from Wikidata. Natural Earth draws features at a small scale, so the line is a guide to where the Columbia River is, not a surveyed boundary.
Blank physical map
The blank version keeps the mapped features and removes the place labels. Download it for a geography worksheet or practice identifying the features.
Columbia River facts
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | 2,000 km (1,240 mi) |
| Drainage basin | 668,000 km² (258,000 sq mi) |
| Average discharge | 7,500 m³/s (265,000 cu ft/s) |
| Source | Columbia Lake |
| Mouth | the Pacific Ocean |
| Countries | Canada and the United States |
| US states | Washington and Oregon |
| Tributaries | Kootenay River, Pend Oreille River, Spokane River, Snake River, Deschutes River, Willamette River, Okanogan River, Yakima River, Cowlitz River and Kettle River |
Data sources and license
- Natural Earth (public-domain geography): Public domain.
- Terrain Tiles / Mapzen (SRTM, GMTED2010, ETOPO1): Open elevation data; source attribution retained.
- Wikidata (lengths, areas, countries and other facts): CC0 1.0.
Map design and rendered images: Atlas of Maps, CC BY 4.0. Source databases retain their own licenses; the map license does not replace them.
Maps of the countries: Canada, United States. Compare with the world rivers map.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Columbia River?
The Columbia River is about 2,000 km (1,240 mi) long, with a drainage basin of about 668,000 km² (258,000 sq mi).
Where does the Columbia River start and end?
The Columbia River rises at Columbia Lake and flows into the Pacific Ocean.
Which states does the Columbia River flow through?
The Columbia River flows through or along Washington and Oregon.
Can I download a blank map of the Columbia River?
Yes. The blank version keeps the relief, rivers and borders and the highlighted river but removes the place names. Both versions are free to download as PNG and as an A4 PDF.
Use this map
You can download, print and share this map for free, in class, in school projects, in presentations and on websites, as long as you credit the source: Columbia River Map · Atlas of Maps (atlasofmaps.com), license CC BY 4.0.
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