Poplar Creek at Elgin water level

Name: Poplar Creek at Elgin 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, Poplar Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.36ft Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 09:00 AM CDT (24 min ago)

Flow: 14.9 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Poplar Creek at Elgin, where the gauge shows 1.36 ft.

That puts it 0.02 ft below the median of 1.39 ft for mid-October, based on 32 years of readings. It is 4.14 ft below the flood stage of 5.50 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.19 ft (+0.17 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.16 ft – 2.56 ft.

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

Compared with 32 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.39 ft0.02 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.99 ft – 2.10 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (32 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.19 ft+0.17 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.16 ft – 2.56 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.96 ft – 4.08 ft
Highest on record: 7.69 ftSeptember 13, 2008

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 5.50 ft.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft: US-20 (Elgin Bypass) may threatened near the creek.
13.50 ft: Bluff City Boulevard may be threatened.
11.50 ft: Water begins to bypass the main channel toward IL-25 and Dixon Avenue.
11.00 ft: Structures threatened at Elgin High School. Villa Street is threatened near the creek.
10.50 ft: IL-25 (St Charles Street) may be threatened near the creek.
10.00 ft: Widespread inundation of structures and roadways in the floodplain reaches up to two blocks from the creek near IL-25 (St Charles Street) and Unity Park. Water begins to bypass the main channel toward structures along Dixon Avenue near Cookane Avenue. Numerous industrial structures threatened near IL-25 (St Charles Street).
9.00 ft: Widespread inundation of structures and roadways in the floodplain reaches several blocks from the creek north of Villa Street near Prairie Park.
8.00 ft: Numerous residences are threatened along Ramona Avenue near Villa Street. Varsity Drive is threatened.
7.00 ft: Campus Drive is threatened near Elgin High School.
6.50 ft: A few residences are threatened near Unity Park. Raymond Street is threatened.
6.00 ft: Hammond Avenue is threatened near Illinois Avenue. Low-lying sections of Unity Park inundated.
5.50 ft: Ramona Avenue is threatened near Villa Street.
1.36 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	7.69 ft	September 13, 2008
2	7.42 ft	April 18, 2013
3	6.78 ft	February 21, 1997
4	6.61 ft	May 15, 2020
5	6.55 ft	December 28, 2008
6	6.37 ft	May 18, 2020
7	6.13 ft	April 23, 1999
8	5.90 ft	August 24, 2007
9	5.89 ft	May 13, 2010
10	5.79 ft	August 5, 1989

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.05 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 59° 39° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 64° 39° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 66° 48° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 66° 48° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 68° 51° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 70° 58° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 69° 56° – Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 06:08 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min First quarter 50%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Fox River at South Elgin, Il (Tailwater)River gauge, Fox River	6.87 ft	Normal	±0	2.9 mi
Fox River at South ElginRiver gauge, Fox River	12.81 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	2.9 mi
Tyler Creek at ElginRiver gauge, Tyler Creek	5.79 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	3.4 mi
Ferson Creek near St. CharlesRiver gauge, Ferson Creek	1.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	8 mi
West Branch Du Page River near West ChicagoRiver gauge, West Branch Du Page River	4.02 ft	Normal	−0.14 ft	9 mi
Fox River (Tailwater) at AlgonquinRiver gauge, Fox River (Tailwater)	6.40 ft	Normal	−0.18 ft	10 mi
Fox River at AlgonquinRiver gauge, Fox River	1.72 ft	High	−0.05 ft	10 mi
Kress Creek at West ChicagoRiver gauge, Kress Creek	4.27 ft	Normal	−0.19 ft	12 mi

Questions and answers

How does Poplar Creek at Elgin compare with last year?

It is 0.17 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.19 ft.

What is flood stage for Poplar Creek at Elgin?

The official flood stage is 5.50 ft. The level is currently 4.14 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Poplar Creek at Elgin in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.39 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.99 ft and 2.10 ft, based on 32 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 Poplar Creek at Elgin today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 09:00 AM CDT, the water level was 1.36 ft. Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Poplar Creek at Elgin rising or falling?

Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.11 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Poplar Creek at Elgin normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 32 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:05550500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.02587, -88.25567 (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	1.36 ft	2026-10-18 14:00	Provisional
Flow	14.9 cfs	2026-10-18 14:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Poplar Creek at Elgin (usgs:05550500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/poplar-creek-at-elgin

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