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Cedar River at Vinton water level

River gauge, Cedar River, Iowa, United States

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Right now

Below flood stage

Water level

7.00ft Up 0.26 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
8,390 cfs
Water temperature
57 °F
10 20 Highest onrecord 24.70 ft Minor floodstage 15.00 ft

History

History
6.36.56.87.0ftOct 16Oct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 186.36.56.87.0ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18
Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Cedar River at Vinton is at 7.00 ft, in the normal range.

It is 8.00 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft.

It has risen 0.26 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 8.00 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 6.09 ft and 7.00 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The water temperature at the gauge is 57 °F.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record
24.70 ftJune 12, 2008

Floating and fishing near Cedar River at Vinton

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 15.00 ft, 8.00 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft
Several blocks near 1st, 2nd, 3rd streets, Riverside Drive and 6th Ave are under water in Vinton affecting homes and businesses. Hinkle Creek backs up closing access over the creek via W 3rd and W 4th Streets. Several homes and businesses are inundated by water from Hinkle Creek.
19.50 ft
Water is at the bottom of the Iowa State Highway 150 bridge.
19.00 ft
Highway 150 is under water in Vinton and the bridge over the Cedar River is closed.
18.00 ft
Water affects the lowest parts of Riverside Drive, and portions of East 2nd Street and North 3rd Avenue in Vinton.
17.50 ft
Flood protection measures such as road closures and sandbagging begin. Water affects the intersections of East 2nd Street and 3rd Avenue and North 3rd Avenue and East 3rd Street in Vinton.
15.00 ft
Agricultural and low land flooding is ongoing. Water affects much of 22nd Avenue Road northwest of Vinton.
13.00 ft
Water affects the lowest part of 22nd Avenue Road northwest of Vinton.
12.50 ft
Water affects the lowest part of 22nd Avenue Road northwest of Vinton.
10.00 ft
Water affects low lying agricultural land north of Vinton. Water is flowing through the overflow channel north of the main channel on Highway 150.
8.50 ft
Flow may begin into the overflow channel north of the main channel on Highway 150.
7.00 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: < 5 %.

RankLevelDate
124.70 ftJune 12, 2008
221.80 ftSeptember 26, 2016
319.30 ftMarch 30, 1961
419.20 ftApril 4, 1993
518.59 ftJune 1, 2013
618.40 ftMay 26, 2004
718.05 ftApril 9, 1965
818.00 ftJuly 24, 1999
917.81 ftJune 23, 2014
1017.72 ftMarch 17, 2019

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:25 AM Sunset 06:23 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the Cedar River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Cedar River near AustinRiver gauge, Cedar River 4.25 ft Below flood stage −0.12 ft 112 mi
Cedar River at Charles CityRiver gauge, Cedar River 4.07 ft Below flood stage +0.10 ft 70 mi
Cedar River at WaverlyRiver gauge, Cedar River 5.11 ft Below flood stage +0.03 ft 45 mi
Cedar River at JanesvilleRiver gauge, Cedar River 2.87 ft Below flood stage +0.20 ft 40 mi
Cedar River at Cedar FallsRiver gauge, Cedar River 82.20 ft Normal +0.23 ft 33 mi
Cedar River at WaterlooRiver gauge, Cedar River 7.48 ft Below flood stage ±0 27 mi
Cedar River at Blairs Ferry Road at PaloRiver gauge, Cedar River 6.96 ft Below flood stage +0.37 ft 14 mi
Cedar River at Edgewood Road at Cedar RapidsRiver gauge, Cedar River 5.35 ft No reference yet +0.15 ft 20 mi
Cedar River at Cedar RapidsRiver gauge, Cedar River 6.22 ft Below flood stage +0.28 ft 23 mi
Cedar River below Indian Creek at Cedar RapidsRiver gauge, Cedar River 9,780 cfs Normal +700 cfs 27 mi
Cedar River at Cedar BluffRiver gauge, Cedar River 8.56 ft Below flood stage +0.34 ft 45 mi
Cedar River near ConesvilleRiver gauge, Cedar River 9.46 ft Below flood stage +0.24 ft 65 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Wolf Creek near DysartRiver gauge, Wolf Creek 4.17 ft Below flood stage −0.25 ft 15 mi
Morgan Creek near CovingtonRiver gauge, Morgan Creek 29.2 cfs Very high −0.6 cfs 18 mi
Salt Creek near ElberonRiver gauge, Salt Creek 7.86 ft Below flood stage −0.04 ft 21 mi
Wapsipinicon River at IndependenceRiver gauge, Wapsipinicon River 6.84 ft Below flood stage −0.13 ft 21 mi
Indian Creek at MarionRiver gauge, Indian Creek 3.24 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 23 mi
Iowa River at MarengoRiver gauge, Iowa River 12.65 ft Below flood stage +1.04 ft 25 mi
Iowa River near Belle PlaineRiver gauge, Iowa River 12.87 ft Below flood stage +0.46 ft 25 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Cedar River at Vinton?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 8.00 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 Vinton today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 02:15 PM CDT, the water level was 7.00 ft. Up 0.26 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Cedar River at Vinton rising or falling?

Up 0.26 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Cedar River at Vinton 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 Vinton?

The highest level on record is 24.70 ft on June 12, 2008.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:05464315 (Agency page)
Coordinates
42.17083, -92.02379 (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 7.00 ft 2026-10-18 19:15 Provisional
Flow 8,390 cfs 2026-10-18 19:15 Provisional
Water temperature 57 °F 2026-10-18 19:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cedar River at Vinton (usgs:05464315). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/cedar-river-at-vinton

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.