Mississippi River at Grafton water level

Name: Mississippi River at Grafton 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, Mississippi River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

15.96ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT (35 min ago)

Flow: 87,400 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 16.20 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 01:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 11:26 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Mississippi River at Grafton, where the gauge shows 15.96 ft.

It is 4.04 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 16.20 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 01:00 PM. The 30-day range is 15.67 ft – 16.65 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 38.17 ftAugust 1, 1993
Forecast peak: 16.20 ftSunday, October 18 at 01:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 20.00 ft.

What happens at each level

37.00 ft: Near this height, floodwater begins to impact Grafton City Hall.
33.50 ft: Nutwood Levee is Overtopped.
32.10 ft: Methodist Church at Main St. and Vine St. begins flooding.
31.00 ft: The hangars at the south end of Smartt field begin to flood.
30.90 ft: Missouri Route B from Washeon Road to Seeburger Road is closed near this height.
30.10 ft: Water reaches the intersection of Main Street and Maple Street.
29.10 ft: Water reaches Main at Church Street.
29.00 ft: Route 100 between Grafton and Alton at Clifton Terrace is flooded near this height.
28.80 ft: Water begins entering the north hangars at Smartt Field.
28.50 ft: Water begins entering the ramps on the north end of Smartt Field as the northwest and northeast corners are already flooded.
28.40 ft: Water reaches Main Street at the Vistors Center
28.30 ft: Intersection at Main (Route 100) & Route 3 is closed. Also at this level the Northeast Corner of Smartt Airfield begins flooding. Grafton Hills Drive is closed to all but local and select (UPS, FedEx, and Amazon) delivery traffic.
15.96 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 8 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	38.17 ft	August 1, 1993
2	35.17 ft	June 7, 2019
3	33.12 ft	April 28, 1973
4	32.10 ft	May 7, 2019
5	30.94 ft	June 4, 2013
6	30.91 ft	December 31, 2015
7	30.80 ft	June 29, 2008
8	30.40 ft	May 29, 1995
9	29.67 ft	October 9, 1986
10	29.58 ft	May 6, 2017

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:15 AM Sunset 06:20 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on the Mississippi River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mississippi River at St. LouisRiver gauge, Mississippi River	9.92 ft	Below flood stage	+0.33 ft	27 mi
Mississippi River at ChesterRiver gauge, Mississippi River	12.31 ft	Below flood stage	−1.14 ft	81 mi
Mississippi River at Cape GirardeauRiver gauge, Mississippi River	17.81 ft	Below flood stage	−0.84 ft	125 mi
Mississippi River at ThebesRiver gauge, Mississippi River	16.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.79 ft	132 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mill Creek near FlorissantRiver gauge, Mill Creek	0.3 cfs	Normal	±0	11 mi
Missouri River at St. CharlesRiver gauge, Missouri River	13.79 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	13 mi
Cowmire Creek at BridgetonRiver gauge, Cowmire Creek	0.9 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	14 mi
Coldwater Creek near Black JackRiver gauge, Coldwater Creek	6.0 cfs	Normal	−7.4 cfs	14 mi
Mississippi River Pool Lock and Dam 26 at AltonRiver gauge, Mississippi River Pool Lock and Dam 26	18.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.23 ft	14 mi
Dardenne Creek at Old Town St. PetersRiver gauge, Dardenne Creek	1.57 ft	Below flood stage	−0.20 ft	16 mi
Spanish Lake Tributary near Black JackRiver gauge, Spanish Lake Tributary	0.2 cfs	Normal	±0	16 mi
Fee Fee Creek near BridgetonRiver gauge, Fee Fee Creek	1.7 cfs	Normal	−3.5 cfs	17 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Mississippi River at Grafton?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 4.04 ft below it.

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 Mississippi River at Grafton today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT, the water level was 15.96 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Mississippi River at Grafton rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Mississippi River at Grafton normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Mississippi River at Grafton?

The highest level on record is 38.17 ft on August 1, 1993.

Is Mississippi River at Grafton expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 16.20 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 01:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05587450 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.96797, -90.42900 (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	15.96 ft	2026-10-18 22:00	Provisional
Flow	87,400 cfs	2026-10-18 22:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Mississippi River at Grafton (usgs:05587450). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/mississippi-river-at-grafton

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