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Illinois River at Valley City water level

River gauge, Illinois River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

4.65ft Up 0.60 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
15,500 cfs
0 10 20 30 Highest onrecord 27.00 ft Minor floodstage 14.00 ft

History

510ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Minor flood stage510ftOct 12Oct 18Oct 25Minor flood stage
510ftSep 19Sep 28Oct 7Oct 16Oct 25Minor flood stage510ftSep 19Oct 7Oct 25Minor flood stage
-01020ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage-01020ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
-01020ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-01020ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.60 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 01:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 11:14 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Illinois River at Valley City, where the gauge shows 4.65 ft.

The median for mid-October is 2.44 ft, based on 33 years of readings, so the river stage is 2.21 ft above typical. It is 9.35 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.21 ft, a difference of +3.44 ft.

It is on the way up, by 0.60 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.60 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 01:00 AM. There is still 9.35 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 3.50 ft – 8.32 ft.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.44 ft2.21 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.64 ft – 11.54 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year
1.21 ft+3.44 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
3.50 ft – 8.32 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.10 ft – 17.96 ft
Highest on record
27.00 ftMay 26, 1943
Forecast peak
4.60 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 14.00 ft.

What happens at each level

28.00 ft
Warehouse on County Highway 2 (2100W) is flooded. Another house a half mile north of Valley City on County Road 21 is flooded. Also, the U.S. Coast Guard will consider closing the river to all vessels above this height.
24.50 ft
County Highway 21 flooded 3/4 mile north of Valley City.
24.00 ft
Buildings in Montezuma are flooded.
23.60 ft
Buildings and main access roads in Florence are flooded.
23.50 ft
Mobile home and garage just west of County Highway 21 (Railroad Street) in Valley City is surrounded by water.
23.00 ft
Westfall Antiques and More building is flooded.
22.50 ft
Bottom of 365th Avenue (gravel road - 2650N) becomes flooded.
21.50 ft
Commercial Building is flooded on Railroad Street (or County Highway 21).
14.00 ft
The road to Norbut Fish and Wildlife area is flooded.
4.65 ft
Right now
0.90 ft
At and below this height, barge traffic will need to consider lowering tonnage to avoid grounding.

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
127.00 ftMay 26, 1943
226.99 ftJune 4, 2019
326.85 ftJuly 2, 2015
426.63 ftApril 27, 2013
526.56 ftMay 30, 1995
625.95 ftJuly 27, 1993
725.72 ftJanuary 5, 2016
825.60 ftMarch 11, 1985
925.56 ftMay 19, 2002
1025.56 ftMarch 24, 1982

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.88 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 64° 36° – Wind 12 mph
19 Mon 70° 40° – Wind 6 mph
20 Tue 73° 53° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 75° 52° – Wind 6 mph
22 Thu 78° 54° – Wind 7 mph
23 Fri 79° 56° – Wind 12 mph
24 Sat 82° 58° – Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:20 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the Illinois River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Illinois River at SenecaRiver gauge, Illinois River 20.48 ft Low +0.10 ft 153 mi
Illinois River at MarseillesRiver gauge, Illinois River 11.98 ft High +0.52 ft 151 mi
Illinois River at HenryRiver gauge, Illinois River 15.40 ft Normal +0.12 ft 118 mi
Illinois River at Kingston MinesRiver gauge, Illinois River 5.61 ft Normal −0.69 ft 74 mi
Illinois River at Copperas CreekRiver gauge, Illinois River 5.23 ft Normal −0.55 ft 67 mi
Illinois River at MeredosiaRiver gauge, Illinois River 5.54 ft Normal +0.56 ft 10 mi
Illinois River at FlorenceRiver gauge, Illinois River 17.44 ft Normal +0.62 ft 5.2 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
La Moine River at RipleyRiver gauge, La Moine River 5.56 ft Normal −0.02 ft 22 mi
Macoupin Creek near KaneRiver gauge, Macoupin Creek 3.94 ft Normal −0.03 ft 35 mi
Spencer Creek below Plum Creek near FrankfordRiver gauge, Spencer Creek 8.5 cfs Normal −0.4 cfs 39 mi
Bear Creek at HannibalRiver gauge, Bear Creek 2.0 cfs Normal +0.4 cfs 41 mi
Salt River near New LondonRiver gauge, Salt River 3.18 ft Below flood stage −0.09 ft 41 mi
Sangamon River near OakfordRiver gauge, Sangamon River 3.48 ft Normal +0.02 ft 45 mi
Bear Creek near MarcellineRiver gauge, Bear Creek 2.45 ft Normal −0.05 ft 48 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Illinois River at Valley City higher than last year?

Yes, it is 3.44 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.21 ft.

What is flood stage for the Illinois River at Valley City?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 9.35 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Illinois River at Valley City in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.44 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.64 ft and 11.54 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 Illinois River at Valley City today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 02:00 PM CDT, the water level was 4.65 ft. Up 0.60 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Illinois River at Valley City rising or falling?

Up 0.60 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 2.99 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Illinois River at Valley City 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:05586100 (Agency page)
Coordinates
39.70319, -90.64308 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 4.65 ft 2026-10-18 19:00 Provisional
Flow 15,500 cfs 2026-10-18 19:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Illinois River at Valley City (usgs:05586100). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/illinois-river-at-valley-city

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