Vermilion River at Pontiac water level

Name: Vermilion River at Pontiac 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, Vermilion River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.80ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 10:45 AM CDT (43 min ago)

Flow: 26.8 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 Vermilion River at Pontiac reads 2.80 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 0.07 ft above the median of 2.73 ft for mid-October, based on 33 years of readings. It is 11.20 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.37 ft (+0.43 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.79 ft and 3.37 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: 2.73 ft0.07 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.37 ft – 5.23 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.37 ft+0.43 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.79 ft – 3.37 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.23 ft – 13.81 ft
Highest on record: 19.18 ftJanuary 9, 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 14.00 ft, still 11.20 ft away.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft: Pontiac water treatment plant is threatened. IL-116 is threatened at the river in Pontiac.
21.00 ft: Widespread inundation of the floodplain south of downtown Pontiac floods reaches up to 5 blocks from the river.
20.00 ft: Lincoln Elementary School is threatened in Pontiac.
19.00 ft: Numerous residences threatened along Water Street north of the river in Pontiac. Widespread inundation of the floodplain south of downtown Pontiac reaches up to 2 blocks from the river. Residences along Mockingbird Lane and Meadowlark Drive are threatened in Fairway View west of Pontiac. Utility structures are threatened in Pontiac. Livingston County 4-H Park is threatened northwest of Pontiac.
18.50 ft: Mockingbird Lane and Meadowlark Drive are threatened in Fairway View west of Pontiac.
18.00 ft: IL-116 is threatened east of Pontiac. Inundation of Humiston-Riverside Park reaches Water Street north of the river in Pontiac.
17.00 ft: Numerous residences threatened along Grove Street south of the river in Pontiac. Washington Elementary School is threatened in Pontiac.
16.50 ft: Low-lying residences threatened along the river between Mill Street and Chataqua Park. Low-lying sections of Southside Cemetery are inundated in Pontiac.
15.00 ft: Low-lying sections of Pontiac Golf Course are inundated.
14.00 ft: Widespread areas of Chatauqua Park are inundated in Pontiac.
13.00 ft: Park Street is threatened in Pontiac. Low-lying sections of Chautauqua Park are inundated in Pontiac.
12.00 ft: Low-lying sections of Humiston-Riverside Park are inundated in Pontiac.
2.80 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: 6 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.18 ft	January 9, 2008
2	19.16 ft	December 4, 1982
3	18.12 ft	June 3, 1980
4	17.90 ft	July 10, 1951
5	17.46 ft	May 14, 1970
6	17.27 ft	December 29, 2015
7	17.23 ft	January 14, 2005
8	17.20 ft	April 28, 1957
9	17.16 ft	May 2, 2019
10	17.00 ft	May 1, 1933

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 62° 36° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 67° 38° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 69° 50° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 71° 51° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 73° 55° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 74° 58° – Wind 11 mph

24 Sat 75° 57° – Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:10 AM Sunset 06:11 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min First quarter 51%

Map

Other gauges on the Vermilion River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Vermilion River near DanvilleRiver gauge, Vermilion River	2.85 ft	Normal	+0.18 ft	77 mi
Vermilion River near LeonoreRiver gauge, Vermilion River	3.64 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	28 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Money Creek near TowandaRiver gauge, Money Creek	6.5 cfs	Normal	−1.1 cfs	23 mi
Sixmile Creek at HudsonRiver gauge, Sixmile Creek	11.70 ft	Very high	+0.01 ft	27 mi
Illinois River at SenecaRiver gauge, Illinois River	20.48 ft	Low	−0.12 ft	29 mi
Illinois River at MarseillesRiver gauge, Illinois River	12.13 ft	High	−0.35 ft	31 mi
Kickapoo Creek near BloomingtonRiver gauge, Kickapoo Creek	4.75 ft	Very high	+0.02 ft	32 mi
Mazon River near Coal CityRiver gauge, Mazon River	1.48 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	32 mi
Illinois River at MorrisRiver gauge, Illinois River	5.41 ft	Normal	+0.07 ft	35 mi
Sugar Creek near BloomingtonRiver gauge, Sugar Creek	1.00 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	35 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Vermilion River at Pontiac compare with last year?

It is 0.43 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.37 ft.

What is flood stage for the Vermilion River at Pontiac?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 11.20 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Vermilion River at Pontiac in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.73 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.37 ft and 5.23 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 Vermilion River at Pontiac today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 10:45 AM CDT, the water level was 2.80 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Vermilion River at Pontiac rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.14 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Vermilion River at Pontiac 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:05554500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.87783, -88.63600 (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	2.80 ft	2026-10-18 15:45	Provisional
Flow	26.8 cfs	2026-10-18 15:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Vermilion River at Pontiac (usgs:05554500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/vermilion-river-at-pontiac

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