North Branch Chicago River at Niles water level

Name: North Branch Chicago River at Niles 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, North Branch Chicago River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.16ft Down 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 08:30 PM CDT (38 min ago)

Flow: 59.9 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 1.16 ft, the North Branch Chicago River at Niles is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.60 ft, based on 35 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.44 ft below typical. It is 8.84 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.09 ft, a difference of −0.93 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.18 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 35 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.60 ft0.44 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.99 ft – 4.77 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (35 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.09 ft−0.93 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.87 ft – 4.65 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.60 ft – 6.93 ft
Highest on record: 12.13 ftSeptember 14, 2008

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 10.00 ft, still 8.84 ft away.

What happens at each level

13.50 ft: Howard Avenue is threatened in Niles.
12.00 ft: Widespread flooding of wooded areas along the river including numerous trails and recreation areas.
11.00 ft: Structures are threatened near the river in Niles.
10.00 ft: Riverside Drive, Harts Road, and Jarvis Avenue are threatened near the river in Niles.
8.00 ft: Low-lying areas in Bunker Hill Woods, Caldwell Woods, and multiple golf courses are inundated.
7.00 ft: Sections of the North Branch Trail are inundated near Cicero Avenue in Chicago. Trails are threatened at Tam O'Shanter Golf Course in Niles.
6.50 ft: Water overtops low-lying banks in Niles.
6.00 ft: Water overtops low-lying banks near the gauge.
1.16 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	12.13 ft	September 14, 2008
2	12.12 ft	April 18, 2013
3	11.35 ft	August 14, 1987
4	10.63 ft	February 21, 1997
5	10.50 ft	June 7, 1938
6	10.26 ft	May 18, 2020
7	10.08 ft	July 23, 2011
8	9.86 ft	August 22, 2002
9	9.83 ft	June 11, 1967
10	9.81 ft	June 19, 2009

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.31 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 64° 41° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 66° 42° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 67° 44° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 71° 53° – Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 72° 56° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 73° 58° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 73° 60° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 06:05 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 55%

Map

Other gauges on the North Branch Chicago River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Branch Chicago River at DeerfieldRiver gauge, North Branch Chicago River	4.48 ft	Normal	−0.17 ft	10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Nb Chicago River at N Pulaski Road at ChicagoRiver gauge, Nb Chicago River	11.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.19 ft	4.3 mi
Des Plaines River at Algonquin Road at Des PlainesRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	8.92 ft	Normal	−0.12 ft	4.4 mi
Weller Creek at Des PlainesRiver gauge, Weller Creek	0.75 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	7 mi
Des Plaines River near Des PlainesRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	9.28 ft	High	−0.07 ft	7 mi
Mc Donald Creek near Mount ProspectRiver gauge, Mc Donald Creek	0.95 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	8 mi
Des Plaines River at River ForestRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	4.87 ft	Normal	−0.30 ft	9 mi
Wf of Nb Chicago River at NorthbrookRiver gauge, Wf of Nb Chicago River	0.99 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	9 mi
Addison Creek at BellwoodRiver gauge, Addison Creek	1.34 ft	Normal	−0.39 ft	10 mi

Questions and answers

Is the North Branch Chicago River at Niles higher than last year?

No, it is 0.93 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.09 ft.

What is flood stage for the North Branch Chicago River at Niles?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 8.84 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the North Branch Chicago River at Niles in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.60 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.99 ft and 4.77 ft, based on 35 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 North Branch Chicago River at Niles today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 08:30 PM CDT, the water level was 1.16 ft. Down 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is North Branch Chicago River at Niles rising or falling?

Down 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.29 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of North Branch Chicago River at Niles normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 35 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:05536000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.01222, -87.79583 (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	1.16 ft	2026-10-19 01:30	Provisional
Flow	59.9 cfs	2026-10-19 01:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: North Branch Chicago River at Niles (usgs:05536000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/north-branch-chicago-river-at-niles

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