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SwedenCedar River at Cedar Rapids water level
River gauge, Cedar River, Iowa, United States
Right now
Below flood stage
Water level
- Flow
- 9,320 cfs
History
The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.70 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 01:00 AM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 09:26 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.
What this means
Water levels are unremarkable at Cedar River at Cedar Rapids, where the gauge shows 6.15 ft.
It is 5.85 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.
It is on the way up, by 0.32 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.70 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 01:00 AM. There is still 5.85 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 5.51 ft – 6.15 ft.
Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Highest on record
- 31.12 ftJune 13, 2008
- Forecast peak
- 6.00 ftSunday, October 18 at 07:00 AM
Paddling and fishing conditions
Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.
For reference, flood stage is 12.00 ft.
What happens at each level
- 27.00 ft
- Water affects Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids.
- 24.20 ft
- Water reaches the bottom of the 1st Avenue bridge deck in downtown Cedar Rapids.
- 23.50 ft
- Water reaches the bottom of the County Road F28 bridge deck at Cedar Bluff.
- 22.50 ft
- Water reaches the top of a levee along 1st Street SW in Cedar Rapids.
- 22.20 ft
- Water reaches the bottom of the 2nd Avenue bridge deck in downtown Cedar Rapids.
- 20.20 ft
- Water reaches the bottom of the 3rd Avenue bridge deck and affects several homes along the river on 1st Street NW in Cedar Rapids.
- 19.50 ft
- Water reaches the bottom of the Blairs Ferry Road bridge deck.
- 19.00 ft
- Water reaches the bottom of a railroad bridge over the river near 1st Street NW and I Avenue NW in Cedar Rapids.
- 18.50 ft
- Water affects the lowest residences in Palo.
- 18.20 ft
- Water reaches the bottom of the railroad bridge along 8th Avenue in Cedar Rapids.
- 18.00 ft
- Water affects the lowest sections of Edgewood Road NW between Ellis Road NW and the Cedar River.
- 17.70 ft
- Water affects the lowest sections of the main road through Ellis Boat Harbor on Ellis Road NW. Water affects the lowest sections of Blairs Ferry Road near the Cedar River.
- 6.15 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: 10 %.
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31.12 ft | June 13, 2008 |
| 2 | 21.97 ft | September 27, 2016 |
| 3 | 20.00 ft | June 1, 1851 |
| 4 | 20.00 ft | March 18, 1929 |
| 5 | 19.66 ft | March 31, 1961 |
| 6 | 19.27 ft | April 4, 1993 |
| 7 | 18.60 ft | April 4, 1933 |
| 8 | 18.51 ft | April 10, 1965 |
| 9 | 18.32 ft | March 19, 2019 |
| 10 | 18.31 ft | July 25, 1999 |
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Other gauges on the Cedar River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar River near AustinRiver gauge, Cedar River | 4.28 ft | Below flood stage | −0.13 ft | 133 mi |
| Cedar River at Charles CityRiver gauge, Cedar River | 4.01 ft | Below flood stage | +0.19 ft | 91 mi |
| Cedar River at WaverlyRiver gauge, Cedar River | 5.14 ft | Below flood stage | +0.12 ft | 67 mi |
| Cedar River at JanesvilleRiver gauge, Cedar River | 2.78 ft | Below flood stage | +0.07 ft | 62 mi |
| Cedar River at Cedar FallsRiver gauge, Cedar River | 82.13 ft | Normal | +0.20 ft | 56 mi |
| Cedar River at WaterlooRiver gauge, Cedar River | 7.48 ft | Below flood stage | +0.05 ft | 50 mi |
| Cedar River at VintonRiver gauge, Cedar River | 6.98 ft | Below flood stage | +0.36 ft | 23 mi |
| Cedar River at Blairs Ferry Road at PaloRiver gauge, Cedar River | 6.90 ft | Below flood stage | +0.39 ft | 9 mi |
| Cedar River at Edgewood Road at Cedar RapidsRiver gauge, Cedar River | 5.37 ft | No reference yet | +0.10 ft | 3.4 mi |
| Cedar River below Indian Creek at Cedar RapidsRiver gauge, Cedar River | 9,670 cfs | Normal | +920 cfs | 4.7 mi |
| Cedar River at Cedar BluffRiver gauge, Cedar River | 8.48 ft | Below flood stage | +0.35 ft | 22 mi |
| Cedar River near ConesvilleRiver gauge, Cedar River | 9.41 ft | Below flood stage | +0.15 ft | 43 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Creek near CovingtonRiver gauge, Morgan Creek | 29.8 cfs | Very high | ±0 | 4.9 mi |
| Indian Creek at MarionRiver gauge, Indian Creek | 3.23 ft | Below flood stage | −0.02 ft | 5.0 mi |
| Clear Creek near OxfordRiver gauge, Clear Creek | 2.87 ft | Below flood stage | −0.04 ft | 18 mi |
| Iowa River below Coralville Dam near CoralvilleRiver gauge, Iowa River | 4,330 cfs | High | −180.0 cfs | 19 mi |
| Muddy Creek at CoralvilleRiver gauge, Muddy Creek | 7.3 cfs | Normal | −0.3 cfs | 20 mi |
| Clear Creek near CoralvilleRiver gauge, Clear Creek | 1.80 ft | Below flood stage | −0.04 ft | 21 mi |
| Rapid Creek near Iowa CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek | 4.25 ft | Below flood stage | −0.01 ft | 21 mi |
| Wapsipinicon River near AnamosaRiver gauge, Wapsipinicon River | 8.99 ft | Below flood stage | +1.16 ft | 22 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for the Cedar River at Cedar Rapids?
The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 5.85 ft below it.
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 Cedar River at Cedar Rapids today?
On Oct 18, 2026, 10:00 AM CDT, the water level was 6.15 ft. Up 0.32 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is Cedar River at Cedar Rapids rising or falling?
Up 0.32 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Cedar River at Cedar Rapids normal?
Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cedar River at Cedar Rapids?
The highest level on record is 31.12 ft on June 13, 2008.
Is Cedar River at Cedar Rapids expected to rise?
The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.70 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 01:00 AM.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Station code
usgs:05464500(Agency page)- Coordinates
41.97195, -91.66712(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 | 6.15 ft | 2026-10-18 15:00 | Provisional |
| Flow | 9,320 cfs | 2026-10-18 15:00 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Cedar River at Cedar Rapids (usgs:05464500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/cedar-river-at-cedar-rapids
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