Volcano · United States
Mount Rainier
Heavily glaciated; its mudflows are a hazard to towns around Seattle and Tacoma.
Status right now
No current reports
Mount Rainier is not in the latest Smithsonian weekly report, the USGS list of volcanoes on alert or the GDACS volcano alerts. That usually means it is quiet, but not every change is reported straight away. For official alerts, follow the local volcano observatory.
Checked 5 Nov 2026, 00:33 UTC.
Key facts
- Country
- United States
- Region
- North America
- Type
- Stratovolcano
- Summit
- 4,392 m (14,409 ft)
- Coordinates
- 46.853° N, 121.760° W
- Smithsonian number
- 321030
- USGS page
- usgs.gov/volcanoes/mount-rainier
What kind of volcano is it?
Mount Rainier is a stratovolcano. A stratovolcano is a tall, steep cone built from layers of lava, ash and rock from many eruptions. Its sticky magma traps gas, so eruptions are often explosive, with ash columns and fast-moving pyroclastic flows.
Eruption history
NOAA's Global Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database lists no significant eruptions here. It records eruptions that caused deaths, notable damage or a tsunami, or that were very large (VEI 6 or more), so many smaller eruptions are not in it. The Smithsonian record for Mount Rainier lists every known eruption.
Nearby volcanoes
- Mount St. HelensUnited States · 79 km
- YellowstoneUnited States · 902 km
- AugustineUnited States (Alaska) · 2,494 km
- SpurrUnited States (Alaska) · 2,517 km
- PavlofUnited States (Alaska) · 2,911 km
- ShishaldinUnited States (Alaska) · 3,042 km
Not an official warning service. In an emergency, follow your local authorities.