Juan de Fuca

American  

[wahn di fyoo-kuh, foo-] / ˈwɑn dɪ ˈfju kə, ˈfu- /

Canadian, Juan de Fuca Strait

noun

1. Strait of Juan de Fuca, a strait that is the main outlet from the Salish Sea to the Pacific Ocean, located between Vancouver Island and northwestern Washington State, with the Canadian-U.S. boundary running through its middle. 100 miles (160 km) long; 15–20 miles (24–32 km) wide.

---

Juan de Fuca British  

/ ˈdʒuːən dɪ ˈfjuːkə, xwan de ˈfuka /

noun

1. a strait between Vancouver Island (Canada) and NW Washington (US). Length: about 129 km (80 miles). Width: about 24 km (15 miles)

---

Etymology

Origin of Juan de Fuca

First recorded in 1780–90; named after Greek navigator Juan de Fuca (1536–1602), who sailed in a Spanish expedition in 1592 to seek the Strait of Anián (now known as the Strait of Juan de Fuca ) by English sea captain and trader Charles William Barkley (1759–1832)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Juan de Fuca

Here, the Juan de Fuca and Explorer plates are slowly sliding beneath the North American plate.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 29, 2026

North of Cape Mendocino, California, the Juan de Fuca plate dives beneath North America along a megathrust subduction zone known as Cascadia.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2025

Ferries chug several times a day between Port Angeles’ artsy downtown and Victoria, British Columbia, about a 90-minute ride across the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2024

Charge your phone to ensure photos of the Olympic Mountains, Strait of Juan de Fuca and Vancouver Island — and, on a nice day, Mount Baker to the west.

From Seattle Times ● May 22, 2024

We catch glimpses of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which is also shrouded in patches of mist.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day