Raccoon River at Van Meter water level

Name: Raccoon River at Van Meter 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

7.82ft Down 0.65 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:00 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 6,100 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Raccoon River at Van Meter, where the gauge shows 7.82 ft.

It is 9.18 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.65 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 7.42 ft – 8.83 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: 26.34 ftJuly 10, 1993

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 17.00 ft.

What happens at each level

26.00 ft: Water affects the railroad line north of Van Meter.
23.80 ft: Water is over I-80 near Van Meter.
23.30 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the I-80 bridge near Van Meter.
22.70 ft: Water is at the shoulder of the southbound I-35 exit to Iowa 5.
20.00 ft: Water affects R Ave just north of the river.
19.00 ft: Flooding of several county roads occurs.
17.00 ft: Water threatens secondary bridges along US 6 east of Adel.
15.00 ft: Flooding occurs in the sand and gravel quarries just south of I-80.
13.00 ft: Overflow occurs onto much of the east bank.
12.00 ft: Water affects agricultural land primarily along the upstream north bank.
7.82 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	26.34 ft	July 10, 1993
2	23.29 ft	June 15, 1998
3	23.09 ft	June 25, 2015
4	22.69 ft	July 1, 1986
5	22.67 ft	June 12, 2008
6	21.77 ft	July 3, 1958
7	21.74 ft	July 4, 1973
8	21.59 ft	May 23, 2004
9	21.40 ft	June 13, 1947
10	21.39 ft	June 16, 1990

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.95 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 62° 33° – Wind 14 mph

18 Sun 64° 40° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 66° 39° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 69° 47° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 73° 51° 0.00 in Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 76° 58° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 76° 57° – Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:28 PM Daylight 10 hr, 55 min First quarter 68%

Map

Other gauges on the Raccoon River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Raccoon River near West Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	31.98 ft	Very high	−0.59 ft	9 mi
Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	26.01 ft	Below flood stage	−0.68 ft	13 mi
Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	7.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.74 ft	16 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Raccoon River at RedfieldRiver gauge, South Raccoon River	4.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	11 mi
Walnut Creek at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	3.92 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	13 mi
Beaver Creek near GrimesRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	6.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.52 ft	15 mi
North River near NorwalkRiver gauge, North River	8.37 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	16 mi
Des Moines River near SaylorvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	5,930 cfs	High	−1,090.0 cfs	18 mi
Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	17.20 ft	Below flood stage	−0.40 ft	18 mi
Des Moines River below Raccoon River at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	17.07 ft	Below flood stage	−1.02 ft	18 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Raccoon River at Van Meter?

The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 9.18 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 Van Meter today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:00 AM CDT, the water level was 7.82 ft. Down 0.65 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Raccoon River at Van Meter rising or falling?

Down 0.65 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Raccoon River at Van Meter 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 Van Meter?

The highest level on record is 26.34 ft on July 10, 1993.

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:05484500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.53403, -93.94978 (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	7.82 ft	2026-10-20 11:00	Provisional
Flow	6,100 cfs	2026-10-20 11:00	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/10749?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Raccoon River at Van Meter water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Raccoon River at Van Meter (usgs:05484500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/raccoon-river-at-van-meter

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