Rapid Creek near Iowa City water level

Name: Rapid Creek near Iowa City 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, Rapid Creek, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.19ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 04:00 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 35.9 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Rapid Creek near Iowa City, where the gauge shows 4.19 ft.

It is 4.81 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 4.19 ft – 4.33 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: 15.61 ftAugust 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 9.00 ft.

What happens at each level

15.00 ft: Water is at the bottom of the Iowa Highway 1 bridge.
4.19 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.61 ft	August 10, 1993
2	14.93 ft	July 17, 1972
3	14.71 ft	August 12, 2016
4	14.65 ft	July 12, 2014
5	14.42 ft	June 7, 1967
6	14.10 ft	May 23, 1965
7	14.00 ft	July 9, 2022
8	13.85 ft	August 16, 1977
9	13.76 ft	June 19, 2010
10	13.73 ft	October 6, 2018

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:25 AM Sunset 06:17 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Iowa River below Coralville Dam near CoralvilleRiver gauge, Iowa River	4,950 cfs	High	−530.0 cfs	2.4 mi
South Branch Ralston Creek at Iowa CityRiver gauge, South Branch Ralston Creek	1.81 ft	Normal	±0	3.5 mi
Muddy Creek at CoralvilleRiver gauge, Muddy Creek	7.8 cfs	Normal	−0.3 cfs	3.9 mi
Iowa River at Iowa CityRiver gauge, Iowa River	14.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.47 ft	4.1 mi
Clear Creek near CoralvilleRiver gauge, Clear Creek	1.65 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	6.0 mi
WB Wapsinonoc Cr at College St at West BranchRiver gauge, WB Wapsinonoc Cr	2.5 cfs	Normal	−0.3 cfs	8 mi
Old Mans Creek near Iowa CityRiver gauge, Old Mans Creek	3.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	9 mi
Cedar River at Cedar BluffRiver gauge, Cedar River	8.80 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	11 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Rapid Creek near Iowa City?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 4.81 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 Rapid Creek near Iowa City today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 04:00 AM CDT, the water level was 4.19 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Rapid Creek near Iowa City rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.13 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Rapid Creek near Iowa City normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Rapid Creek near Iowa City?

The highest level on record is 15.61 ft on August 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:05454000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.70002, -91.48767 (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	4.19 ft	2026-10-21 09:00	Provisional
Flow	35.9 cfs	2026-10-21 09:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rapid Creek near Iowa City (usgs:05454000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/rapid-creek-near-iowa-city

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