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Illinois River at Kingston Mines water level

River gauge, Illinois River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

5.54ft Down 0.72 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
11,100 cfs
0 10 20 Highest onrecord 26.54 ft

History

History
510ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 18510ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18
51015ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 11Oct 1851015ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18
1020ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20261020ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
1020ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20261020ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Illinois River at Kingston Mines, where the gauge shows 5.54 ft.

That puts it 2.63 ft above the median of 2.91 ft for mid-October, based on 28 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 2.02 ft (+3.52 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.72 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 5.08 ft – 11.85 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 28 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.91 ft2.63 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.05 ft – 11.98 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (28 years of records)
Same day last year
2.02 ft+3.52 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
5.08 ft – 11.85 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.94 ft – 19.04 ft
Highest on record
26.54 ftApril 24, 2013

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
126.54 ftApril 24, 2013
226.02 ftMay 25, 1943
325.55 ftMarch 8, 1985
425.50 ftNovember 22, 1985
525.39 ftJuly 1, 2015
625.29 ftMay 7, 2019
725.22 ftMarch 24, 1979
824.92 ftJune 2, 2019
924.79 ftJanuary 3, 2016
1024.68 ftSeptember 20, 2008

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 65° 36° – Wind 12 mph
19 Mon 69° 38° – Wind 6 mph
20 Tue 70° 43° – Wind 7 mph
21 Wed 72° 50° – Wind 6 mph
22 Thu 75° 55° – Wind 5 mph
23 Fri 77° 56° – Wind 9 mph
24 Sat 77° 58° – Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:14 AM Sunset 06:16 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on the Illinois River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Illinois River at MorrisRiver gauge, Illinois River 5.18 ft Normal +0.34 ft 90 mi
Illinois River at SenecaRiver gauge, Illinois River 20.47 ft Low +0.09 ft 80 mi
Illinois River at MarseillesRiver gauge, Illinois River 11.68 ft Normal +0.42 ft 77 mi
Illinois River at HenryRiver gauge, Illinois River 15.39 ft Normal +0.07 ft 44 mi
Illinois River at Copperas CreekRiver gauge, Illinois River 5.12 ft Normal −0.62 ft 8 mi
Illinois River at MeredosiaRiver gauge, Illinois River 5.44 ft Normal +0.42 ft 65 mi
Illinois River at Valley CityRiver gauge, Illinois River 4.61 ft Normal +0.52 ft 74 mi
Illinois River at FlorenceRiver gauge, Illinois River 17.40 ft Normal +0.54 ft 77 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Mackinaw River near Green ValleyRiver gauge, Mackinaw River 13.85 ft Normal +0.01 ft 11 mi
Fondulac Creek near East PeoriaRiver gauge, Fondulac Creek 1.37 ft Very low ±0 15 mi
Farm Creek at FarmdaleRiver gauge, Farm Creek 0.67 ft Very low +0.02 ft 16 mi
Mason Tazewell Drainage D at Cr2350e near TopekaRiver gauge, Mason Tazewell Drainage D 15.43 ft Very high ±0 17 mi
Spoon River at London MillsRiver gauge, Spoon River 5.24 ft Very high −0.55 ft 28 mi
Mackinaw River near CongervilleRiver gauge, Mackinaw River 1.14 ft Normal −0.04 ft 29 mi
Salt Creek near GreenviewRiver gauge, Salt Creek 1.36 ft Normal −0.05 ft 29 mi
Spoon River at SevilleRiver gauge, Spoon River 8.94 ft Very high +0.27 ft 30 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Illinois River at Kingston Mines compare with last year?

It is 3.52 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.02 ft.

What is a normal level for the Illinois River at Kingston Mines in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.91 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.05 ft and 11.98 ft, based on 28 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Illinois River at Kingston Mines today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 04:45 PM CDT, the water level was 5.54 ft. Down 0.72 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Illinois River at Kingston Mines rising or falling?

Down 0.72 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 4.72 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Illinois River at Kingston Mines normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 28 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Illinois River at Kingston Mines?

The highest level on record is 26.54 ft on April 24, 2013.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:05568500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
40.55344, -89.77727 (WGS84)
Vertical datum
NAVD88
Update interval
every 15 minutes
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 5.54 ft 2026-10-18 21:45 Provisional
Flow 11,100 cfs 2026-10-18 21:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Illinois River at Kingston Mines (usgs:05568500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/illinois-river-at-kingston-mines

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.