North Branch Raritan River near Raritan NJ water level

Name: North Branch Raritan River near Raritan NJ 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, North Branch Raritan River, New Jersey, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.82ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 02:00 AM EDT (42 min ago)

Flow: 126 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.80 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 10:03 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at North Branch Raritan River near Raritan NJ, where the gauge shows 2.82 ft.

It is 7.18 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.80 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM. The 30-day range is 2.82 ft – 3.02 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 19.52 ftSeptember 2, 2021
Forecast peak: 2.80 ftWednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft: US Route 202 is closed. Flooding extends west of Vanderveer Avenue to Burnt Mill Road.
19.00 ft: The bridge on Old York Road between Branchburg and Bridgewater is closed due to flooding.
18.00 ft: Helfreds Landing in Bridgewater floods.
15.00 ft: US Route 202 in Branchburg begins to flood, starting with the northbound lanes. Chambers Brook experiences back water causing flooding to occur along Chambers Brook Road.
14.00 ft: The first evacuations begin in Branchburg near Route 28 and Vaanderveer Avenue.
12.00 ft: Vaanderveer Avenue in Branchburg begins to flood.
10.00 ft: Flooding begins along Old York Road and in Branchburg.
8.00 ft: North Branch Park floods.
2.82 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: 16 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.52 ft	September 2, 2021
2	18.98 ft	September 16, 1999
3	17.97 ft	August 28, 2011
4	15.47 ft	August 28, 1971
5	15.44 ft	October 19, 1996
6	15.30 ft	July 7, 1984
7	14.30 ft	January 19, 1996
8	14.10 ft	January 10, 2024
9	13.90 ft	March 14, 2010
10	13.59 ft	August 19, 1955

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 70° 40° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 65° 44° – Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 67° 40° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 60° 45° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 61° 42° – Wind 4 mph

25 Sun 63° 44° – Wind 6 mph

26 Mon 67° 45° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:17 AM Sunset 06:11 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on the North Branch Raritan River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Branch Raritan River near Far Hills NJRiver gauge, North Branch Raritan River	2.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	10 mi
North Branch Raritan River at North Branch NJRiver gauge, North Branch Raritan River	3.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	2.1 mi
North Branch Raritan River at South Branch NJRiver gauge, North Branch Raritan River	1.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	1.1 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lamington River at Burnt Mills NJRiver gauge, Lamington River	3.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	4.5 mi
Raritan River at Manville NJRiver gauge, Raritan River	4.23 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	5.2 mi
Royce Brook at Hamilton Road near Manville NJRiver gauge, Royce Brook	7.4 cfs	Normal	±0	5.3 mi
Middle Brook at Burnt Mills NJRiver gauge, Middle Brook	5.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	5.5 mi
West Branch Middle Brook near Martinsville NJRiver gauge, West Branch Middle Brook	2.02 ft	Below flood stage	±0	5.5 mi
Millstone River at Weston NJRiver gauge, Millstone River	1.74 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	5.5 mi
South B Rockaway Creek at Whitehouse Station NJRiver gauge, South B Rockaway Creek	5.8 cfs	Low	+0.3 cfs	6.0 mi
Millstone River at Millstone NJRiver gauge, Millstone River	1.18 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	7 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the North Branch Raritan River near Raritan NJ?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 7.18 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 North Branch Raritan River near Raritan NJ today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 02:00 AM EDT, the water level was 2.82 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is North Branch Raritan River near Raritan NJ rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.06 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of North Branch Raritan River near Raritan NJ normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at North Branch Raritan River near Raritan NJ?

The highest level on record is 19.52 ft on September 2, 2021.

Is North Branch Raritan River near Raritan NJ expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.80 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01400000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.57056, -74.67917 (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	2.82 ft	2026-10-21 06:00	Provisional
Flow	126 cfs	2026-10-21 06:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: North Branch Raritan River near Raritan NJ (usgs:01400000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-jersey/north-branch-raritan-river-near-raritan-nj

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