Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des Moines water level

Name: Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des Moines 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, Raccoon River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

25.46ft Down 0.62 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 04:15 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 6,140 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des Moines, where the gauge shows 25.46 ft.

It is 10.54 ft below the flood stage of 36.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.62 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 25.02 ft – 26.88 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 41.31 ftJune 13, 2008

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 36.00 ft.

What happens at each level

46.20 ft: This is the top of the West Des Moines levee.
43.00 ft: This is the top of the Des Moines levee at Iowa 28 and 63rd St.
42.00 ft: Water is over I-35.
41.30 ft: Water is at the shoulder of the southbound I-35 exit to Iowa 5.
41.00 ft: The levee is closed at Jordan Creek and Iowa 28.
40.50 ft: Water affects Grand Ave near Raccoon River Regional Park.
40.00 ft: Iowa 28 is closed north of the river. Water affects the berm on the west side of Raccoon River Park...affecting the park and surrounding area.
39.60 ft: Water affects the rangers residence at Walnut Woods State Park.
39.00 ft: Water affects businesses...Commerce Dr and Raccoon River Dr from S 88th St to Grand Ave.
38.60 ft: Water affects several buildings in West Des Moines in Walnut Woods State Park.
38.00 ft: Water affects primary roads in several locations.
36.00 ft: Water affects Blue Heron Lake at Raccoon River Park.
25.46 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 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	41.31 ft	June 13, 2008
2	40.77 ft	July 11, 1993
3	40.37 ft	June 26, 2015
4	39.46 ft	June 16, 1998
5	38.22 ft	May 24, 2004
6	37.94 ft	April 26, 2007
7	37.52 ft	February 19, 1997
8	37.43 ft	December 15, 2015
9	37.43 ft	March 15, 2019
10	36.97 ft	June 28, 2010

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.24 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 61° 33° – Wind 12 mph

18 Sun 64° 40° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 66° 38° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 70° 47° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 73° 51° 0.00 in Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 76° 59° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 76° 56° – Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 10 hr, 52 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on the Raccoon River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Raccoon River at Van MeterRiver gauge, Raccoon River	7.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.56 ft	13 mi
Raccoon River near West Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	31.46 ft	High	−0.52 ft	4.7 mi
Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	6.96 ft	Below flood stage	−0.65 ft	3.4 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Walnut Creek at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	3.89 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	1.8 mi
Des Moines River below Raccoon River at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	16.22 ft	Below flood stage	−1.01 ft	5.2 mi
Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	16.82 ft	Below flood stage	−0.38 ft	5.5 mi
North River near NorwalkRiver gauge, North River	8.25 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	8 mi
Des Moines River near SaylorvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	4,320 cfs	High	−1,610.0 cfs	8 mi
Beaver Creek near GrimesRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	6.28 ft	Below flood stage	−0.35 ft	9 mi
Fourmile Creek at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Fourmile Creek	4.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	9 mi
Middle River near IndianolaRiver gauge, Middle River	8.72 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	11 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des Moines?

The official flood stage is 36.00 ft. The level is currently 10.54 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 Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des Moines today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 04:15 AM CDT, the water level was 25.46 ft. Down 0.62 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des Moines rising or falling?

Down 0.62 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.17 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des Moines normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des Moines?

The highest level on record is 41.31 ft on June 13, 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:05484650 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.56167, -93.70333 (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	25.46 ft	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional
Flow	6,140 cfs	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des Moines (usgs:05484650). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/raccoon-river-at-63rd-street-at-des-moines

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