Kress Creek at West Chicago water level

Name: Kress Creek at West Chicago water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Kress Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

4.19ft Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:20 AM CDT (49 min ago)

Flow: 8.3 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Kress Creek at West Chicago reads 4.19 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 3.89 ft, based on 39 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.30 ft above typical. It is 2.31 ft below the flood stage of 6.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.99 ft, a difference of +0.20 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.11 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.03 ft and 5.53 ft.

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

Compared with 39 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.89 ft0.30 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.62 ft – 4.53 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (39 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.99 ft+0.20 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.03 ft – 5.53 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.72 ft – 5.90 ft
Highest on record: 9.37 ftSeptember 14, 2008

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 6.50 ft, still 2.31 ft away.

What happens at each level

13.50 ft: Neltnor Boulevard (IL-59) and Fabyan Parkway threatened.
12.50 ft: Winfield Township Highway Department property threatened.
11.00 ft: A few residences threatened along Gunness Drive.
10.50 ft: Wilson Street threatened at Joliet Street.
9.50 ft: Joliet Street threatened south of Wilson Street.
9.00 ft: A few residences threatened along May Street.
8.50 ft: Roosevelt Road (IL-38) threatened near Pearl Road. Town Road threatened.
8.00 ft: Widespread inundation of agricultural land between West Chicago and Fermilab.
7.50 ft: Joy Road, May Street, and Circle Drive threatened.
6.50 ft: Low-lying roadways threatened at Fermilab.
5.50 ft: Water overtops low-lying banks near West Chicago.
4.19 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.37 ft	September 14, 2008
2	9.24 ft	July 18, 1996
3	8.80 ft	October 10, 1954
4	7.90 ft	July 18, 1964
5	7.67 ft	May 15, 2020
6	7.66 ft	February 21, 1997
7	7.51 ft	June 15, 2015
8	7.37 ft	August 14, 1987
9	7.27 ft	October 13, 2001
10	7.27 ft	June 10, 1967

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.63 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 62° 40° – Wind 13 mph

19 Mon 64° 40° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 66° 43° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 66° 48° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 68° 51° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 69° 52° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 67° 52° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:10 AM Sunset 06:07 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 58%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
West Branch Du Page River near WarrenvilleRiver gauge, West Branch Du Page River	7.92 ft	High	−0.14 ft	3.2 mi
West Branch Du Page River near West ChicagoRiver gauge, West Branch Du Page River	3.98 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	4.0 mi
Mill Creek near BataviaRiver gauge, Mill Creek	2.43 ft	Normal	−0.13 ft	7 mi
East Branch Dupage River at Short St at LisleRiver gauge, East Branch Dupage River	5.64 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	8 mi
St. Joseph Creek at Route 34 at LisleRiver gauge, St. Joseph Creek	4.34 ft	High	−0.02 ft	8 mi
East Branch Du Page River near Downers GroveRiver gauge, East Branch Du Page River	12.15 ft	Very high	−0.09 ft	8 mi
Ferson Creek near St. CharlesRiver gauge, Ferson Creek	1.90 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	9 mi
Spring Brook at 87th Street near NapervilleRiver gauge, Spring Brook	2.94 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	9 mi

Questions and answers

Is Kress Creek at West Chicago higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.20 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.99 ft.

What is flood stage for Kress Creek at West Chicago?

The official flood stage is 6.50 ft. The level is currently 2.31 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Kress Creek at West Chicago in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.89 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.62 ft and 4.53 ft, based on 39 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 Kress Creek at West Chicago today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:20 AM CDT, the water level was 4.19 ft. Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Kress Creek at West Chicago rising or falling?

Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.13 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Kress Creek at West Chicago normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 39 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05540060 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.85641, -88.20416 (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

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	4.19 ft	2026-10-19 10:20	Provisional
Flow	8.3 cfs	2026-10-19 10:20	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/6196?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Kress Creek at West Chicago water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kress Creek at West Chicago (usgs:05540060). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/kress-creek-at-west-chicago

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.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer