Smith River (Tolowa: Kaa-nvsh)[3][4] is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Del Norte County, California, located near the Oregon border.

Smith River is the wettest human-inhabited spot in the state of California,[13] and experiences an Oceanic climate, for it is just beyond the northern periphery of the Mediterranean climate zone of coastal California.

Seasonal precipitation patterns strictly follow the patterns evident in a Mediterranean regime however, although the rather copious average annual precipitation amount of 73.73 in (1,873 mm) wildly exceeds the 900 mm (35 in) precipitation limit for Mediterranean climates implemented in the revised version of the Köppen climate classification by over twofold.

The summer months from June to September receive very stark precipitation (profoundly similar to a Mediterranean climate), with July and August in particular being relatively dry.

In stark contrast, winter is stupendously wet, and windy, with approximately 74% of the year's total average precipitation observed in the five-month period from November to March.

[16] Federally, Smith River is in California's 2nd congressional district, represented by Democrat Jared Huffman.