Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet water level

Name: Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet 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, Des Plaines River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

538.97ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 16, 2026, 10:15 AM CDT (3 days ago)

Flow: 954 cfs
Water temperature: 63 °F

History

Not enough readings for a chart yet. History builds up with every update.

What this means

The gauge at Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet reads 538.97 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 0.05 ft above the median of 538.92 ft for mid-October, based on 20 years of readings. It is 2.03 ft below the flood stage of 541.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 63 °F.

Compared with 20 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 538.92 ft0.05 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 538.66 ft – 539.13 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (20 years of records)
Highest on record: 542.00 ftJuly 1, 1957

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 541.00 ft, still 2.03 ft away.

What happens at each level

545.50 ft: Water reaches the top of the flood wall in downtown Joliet.
545.00 ft: Without flood protection, widespread inundation of structures and roadways in the floodplain reaches up to half mile from the river near downtown Joliet.
544.00 ft: Without flood protection, water begins to overtop the embankment upstream of Ruby Street along east bank of the river.
543.50 ft: A few structures near the river upstream of Ruby Street are threatened.
542.00 ft: North Bluff Street in threatened. Low-lying property near Ruby Street inundated.
538.97 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	542.00 ft	July 1, 1957
2	541.22 ft	September 14, 2008
3	541.00 ft	March 5, 1985
4	540.97 ft	May 1, 2019
5	540.92 ft	April 18, 2013
6	540.64 ft	August 24, 2007
7	540.49 ft	December 28, 2008
8	540.42 ft	June 9, 2011
9	540.37 ft	June 16, 2015
10	540.29 ft	July 25, 2010

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.38 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 56° 38° – Wind 10 mph

18 Sun 61° 38° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 66° 38° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 68° 50° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 69° 50° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 71° 54° 0.00 in Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 72° 54° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 06:07 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 57%

Map

Other gauges on the Des Plaines River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Des Plaines River at RussellRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	4.58 ft	High	−0.13 ft	66 mi
Des Plaines River near GurneeRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	2.97 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	56 mi
Des Plaines River at LincolnshireRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	7.56 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	47 mi
Des Plaines River near Des PlainesRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	9.25 ft	High	−0.08 ft	39 mi
Des Plaines River at Algonquin Road at Des PlainesRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	8.89 ft	Normal	−0.11 ft	36 mi
Des Plaines River at River ForestRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	4.81 ft	Normal	−0.23 ft	28 mi
Des Plaines River at RiversideRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	2.58 ft	Normal	−0.21 ft	24 mi
Des Plaines River at LyonsRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	10.99 ft	Normal	−0.39 ft	23 mi
Des Plaines River near LemontRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	6.31 ft	Normal	−0.40 ft	10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Hickory Creek at JolietRiver gauge, Hickory Creek	10.93 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	1.6 mi
Du Page River at ShorewoodRiver gauge, Du Page River	10.76 ft	Very high	−0.18 ft	5.7 mi
Long Run near LemontRiver gauge, Long Run	1.11 ft	Normal	−0.11 ft	9 mi
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at LemontRiver gauge, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal	24.86 ft	Normal	−0.30 ft	11 mi
Du Page River near PlainfieldRiver gauge, Du Page River	7.09 ft	Normal	−0.14 ft	11 mi
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near LemontRiver gauge, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal	25.19 ft	Normal	−0.21 ft	12 mi
East Branch Du Page River at BolingbrookRiver gauge, East Branch Du Page River	15.06 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	13 mi
West Branch Du Page River near NapervilleRiver gauge, West Branch Du Page River	4.54 ft	Normal	−0.18 ft	13 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet?

The official flood stage is 541.00 ft. The level is currently 2.03 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 538.92 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 538.66 ft and 539.13 ft, based on 20 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 Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet today?

On Oct 16, 2026, 10:15 AM CDT, the water level was 538.97 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 20 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet?

The highest level on record is 542.00 ft on July 1, 1957.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05537980 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.53647, -88.08369 (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	538.97 ft	2026-10-16 15:15	Provisional
Flow	954 cfs	2026-10-19 08:30	Provisional
Water temperature	63 °F	2026-10-19 08:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet (usgs:05537980). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/des-plaines-river-at-route-53-at-joliet

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