Patuxent River near Laurel water level

Name: Patuxent River near Laurel 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, Patuxent River, Maryland, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.28ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 17.3 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Patuxent River near Laurel, where the gauge shows 4.28 ft.

It is 5.22 ft below the flood stage of 9.50 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 4.28 ft – 4.30 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: 25.00 ftJune 22, 1972

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 9.50 ft.

What happens at each level

13.00 ft: The parking lot of a car dealership in Laurel begins to flood.
10.50 ft: The MARC commuter lot near Laurel begins to flood.
10.00 ft: Laurel Race Track Road begins to flood.
9.50 ft: Water overflows the banks into nearby park land.
4.28 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	25.00 ft	June 22, 1972
2	19.84 ft	September 26, 1975
3	18.90 ft	July 21, 1956
4	18.50 ft	September 12, 1971
5	14.80 ft	May 1, 2014
6	12.69 ft	April 14, 1970
7	12.52 ft	January 31, 2013
8	12.34 ft	January 26, 1978
9	12.26 ft	July 8, 1958
10	11.81 ft	May 7, 1989

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.12 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 69° 47° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 63° 44° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 67° 47° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 61° 48° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 63° 44° – Wind 6 mph

25 Sun 66° 45° – Wind 6 mph

26 Mon 69° 48° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:23 PM Daylight 11 hr Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Other gauges on the Patuxent River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Patuxent River near UnityRiver gauge, Patuxent River	2.14 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	13 mi
Patuxent River below Brighton Dam near Brighton MDRiver gauge, Patuxent River	1.59 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	9 mi
Patuxent River near BowieRiver gauge, Patuxent River	4.42 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	15 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Patuxent River at SavageRiver gauge, Little Patuxent River	3.13 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	3.3 mi
Little Patuxent River at GuilfordRiver gauge, Little Patuxent River	2.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	3.8 mi
Paint Branch Tributary near ColesvilleRiver gauge, Paint Branch Tributary	1.60 ft	Below flood stage	±0	6 mi
Paint Branch near College ParkRiver gauge, Paint Branch	1.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	7 mi
Hawlings River near Sandy SpringRiver gauge, Hawlings River	0.52 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	9 mi
Northwest Branch Anacostia River near ColesvilleRiver gauge, Northwest Branch Anacostia River	1.43 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	9 mi
Patapsco River near CatonsvilleRiver gauge, Patapsco River	10.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	11 mi
Northeast Branch Anacostia River at RiverdaleRiver gauge, Northeast Branch Anacostia River	0.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	11 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Patuxent River near Laurel?

The official flood stage is 9.50 ft. The level is currently 5.22 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 Patuxent River near Laurel today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 AM EDT, the water level was 4.28 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Patuxent River near Laurel rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Patuxent River near Laurel normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Patuxent River near Laurel?

The highest level on record is 25.00 ft on June 22, 1972.

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:01592500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.11572, -76.87375 (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	4.28 ft	2026-10-20 15:15	Provisional
Flow	17.3 cfs	2026-10-20 15:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Patuxent River near Laurel (usgs:01592500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maryland/patuxent-river-near-laurel

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