Thorn Creek at Thornton water level

Name: Thorn Creek at Thornton 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, Thorn Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.85ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 02:30 PM CDT (17 min ago)

Flow: 45.6 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Thorn Creek at Thornton is at 2.85 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.02 ft above the median of 2.83 ft for mid-October, based on 33 years of readings. It is 6.15 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.65 ft (+0.20 ft).

It has dropped 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.84 ft and 6.91 ft.

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

Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.83 ft0.02 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.09 ft – 3.57 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.65 ft+0.20 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.84 ft – 6.91 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.59 ft – 12.37 ft
Highest on record: 17.06 ftJune 14, 1981

Floating and fishing near Thorn Creek at Thornton

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 9.00 ft, 6.15 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft: Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad tracks may be threatened near Glenwood.
21.00 ft: I-94 may be threatened near 170th Street in South Holland.
20.00 ft: Structures may be threatened along Clyde Avenue, 173rd Street, and 173rd Place in South Holland.
19.00 ft: I-294/I-80 may be threatened west of the creek near the Lincoln Oasis. Residential structures may be threatened along Everett Avenue, Cregier Avenue, and Vollbrecht Road in South Holland. Clyde Avenue, 173rd Street, and 173rd Place may be threatened in South Holland.
18.50 ft: Industrial structures may be threatened along Bernice Road in South Holland.
18.00 ft: Margaret Street threatened in Thornton.
17.50 ft: Residential structures may be threatened along Kimbark Avenue, University Avenue, and 173rd Street in South Holland.
17.00 ft: Kimbark Avenue, University Avenue, 173rd Street, Everett Avenue, Cregier Avenue, and Vollbrecht Road may be threatened in South Holland. Thorn Creek Diversion Tunnel reaches capacity.
16.00 ft: Residential structures threatened along Margaret Street in Thornton.
15.50 ft: Structures threatened at Glenwood Academy. Residences threatened along Park Drive in Glenwood. 170th Street may be threatened in South Holland.
15.00 ft: Industrial structures threatened south of Margaret Street in Thornton.
14.50 ft: Park Drive threatened in Glenwood. Industrial parking lots threatened south of Margaret Street in Thornton.
2.85 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: 17 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	17.06 ft	June 14, 1981
2	16.87 ft	November 28, 1990
3	16.24 ft	July 18, 1996
4	16.00 ft	July 13, 1957
5	15.95 ft	December 3, 1982
6	15.89 ft	September 14, 2008
7	15.10 ft	April 17, 2006
8	14.96 ft	February 21, 2018
9	14.87 ft	April 18, 2013
10	14.82 ft	June 1, 1989

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.44 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 58° 39° – Wind 10 mph

18 Sun 63° 39° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 68° 38° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 70° 53° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 69° 52° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 72° 55° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 72° 56° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:06 AM Sunset 06:06 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on Thorn Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Thorn Creek at GlenwoodRiver gauge, Thorn Creek	2.59 ft	Very low	±0	2.7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Calumet River at South HollandRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	5.54 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	2.7 mi
Butterfield Creek at FlossmoorRiver gauge, Butterfield Creek	4.07 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	2.9 mi
Deer Creek near Chicago HeightsRiver gauge, Deer Creek	3.22 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	3.4 mi
Calumet Union Drainage Canal near MarkhamRiver gauge, Calumet Union Drainage Canal	2.33 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	3.6 mi
Little Calumet River at MunsterRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	5.41 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	4.5 mi
Lansing Ditch near LansingRiver gauge, Lansing Ditch	5.45 ft	High	+0.02 ft	4.9 mi
Little Calumet River at Northcote Av at MunsterRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	9.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	6 mi
Hart Ditch at DyerCanal gauge, Hart Ditch	2.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	7 mi

Questions and answers

How does Thorn Creek at Thornton compare with last year?

It is 0.20 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.65 ft.

What is flood stage for Thorn Creek at Thornton?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 6.15 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Thorn Creek at Thornton in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.83 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.09 ft and 3.57 ft, based on 33 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 Thorn Creek at Thornton today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 02:30 PM CDT, the water level was 2.85 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Thorn Creek at Thornton rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.09 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Thorn Creek at Thornton normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 33 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:05536275 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.56817, -87.60833 (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	2.85 ft	2026-10-18 19:30	Provisional
Flow	45.6 cfs	2026-10-18 19:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Thorn Creek at Thornton (usgs:05536275). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/thorn-creek-at-thornton

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