Traditionally, the decision of river width has aimed majorly at flood control and good river conveyance. And the river width has been decided by practitioner#s subjective and empirical opinion. Recently, however, there is a need for more objective and thus quantitative decision method for decision of river width considering not only economical aspect but also social or environmental aspect. This study adopts the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to improve the objectiveness in the decision of river width. Criteria and a standardized process are presented for field application. Using the proposed method, one can prioritize various river width and make the optimal decision. We believe that the method can serve as a useful tool for river engineers in practice.