Kanwaka is an unincorporated community in Douglas County, Kansas, United States. It is located four miles west of Lawrence. The name of the community is a portmanteau of the Kansas and Wakarusa Rivers.
Kanwaka was first settled in 1854. Kanwaka had a post office from 1857 to 1870 and again from 1898 until 1900. The name Kanwaka is said to have been coined by Helen Heath.
Kanwaka is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 40 and Stull Road.