Tar River at US 401 at Louisburg water level

Name: Tar River at US 401 at Louisburg 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, Tar River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

3.44ft Down 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:45 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 23.3 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.30 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 10:28 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

At 3.44 ft, the Tar River at US 401 at Louisburg is far below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 4.19 ft, based on 38 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.75 ft below typical. It is 16.56 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.68 ft, a difference of −0.24 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.21 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.30 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 AM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

Compared with 38 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.19 ft0.75 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.74 ft – 6.29 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (38 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.68 ft−0.24 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.10 ft – 4.28 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.08 ft – 11.36 ft
Highest on record: 26.05 ftSeptember 17, 1999
Forecast peak: 3.50 ftTuesday, October 20 at 08:00 PM

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 20.00 ft, still 16.56 ft away.

What happens at each level

37.00 ft: Water reaches the road surface of the US401 bridge.
34.00 ft: South Main Street bridge is flooded to a depth of approximately 5 feet.
29.00 ft: Water reaches the road level of the Main Street bridge. Flooding reaches businesses on Main and Nash Streets. The grounds of the Louisburg wastewater treatment plant (near the mouth of Fox swamp) is covered with water.
25.00 ft: Significant flooding at businesses along Johnson, Court, Elm, and Short Streets.
23.00 ft: Major flooding begins. Homes and businesses along Johnson Street flood.
22.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Flooding begins in Pruitt and Shannon Villages on the east side of town.
20.00 ft: Minor flooding begins. Banks overflow at Main Street. River Bend Park is flooded and storm drains are inundated along the river.
18.00 ft: Bankfull in the vicinity of Main Street. Minor flooding begins in River Bend Park 0.1 miles upstream of Main Street.
3.44 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	26.05 ft	September 17, 1999
2	25.34 ft	September 7, 1996
3	24.36 ft	April 28, 1978
4	23.25 ft	October 10, 2016
5	23.23 ft	August 9, 2024
6	23.00 ft	July 16, 1975
7	22.90 ft	April 26, 2017
8	22.03 ft	November 14, 2018
9	21.77 ft	October 13, 2002
10	21.68 ft	May 17, 2014

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:26 AM Sunset 06:31 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min Waxing gibbous 73%

Map

Other gauges on the Tar River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tar River near Tar RiverRiver gauge, Tar River	1.25 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	17 mi
Tar River at Nc-581 near Spring HopeRiver gauge, Tar River	2.02 ft	Very low	+0.08 ft	19 mi
Tar River below Dam near Langley CrossroadsRiver gauge, Tar River	0.65 ft	Low	±0	27 mi
Tar River at NC 97 at Rocky MountRiver gauge, Tar River	2.97 ft	Very low	±0	30 mi
Tar River at TarboroRiver gauge, Tar River	1.27 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	45 mi
Tar River at GreenvilleRiver gauge, Tar River	5.12 ft	Normal	+0.15 ft	61 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little River near ZebulonRiver gauge, Little River	1.58 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	19 mi
Neuse River near FallsRiver gauge, Neuse River	1.24 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	19 mi
Falls Lake above Dam near FallsReservoir, Falls Lake	245.16 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	19 mi
Beaverdam Creek at Dam near CreedmoorRiver gauge, Beaverdam Creek	247.65 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	22 mi
Little Fishing Creek near White OakRiver gauge, Little Fishing Creek	1.29 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	24 mi
Marsh Creek near New HopeRiver gauge, Marsh Creek	2.78 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	25 mi
Crabtree Creek at US 1 at RaleighRiver gauge, Crabtree Creek	0.36 ft	Low	−0.16 ft	26 mi
Crabtree Creek at Old Wake Forest Road at RaleighRiver gauge, Crabtree Creek	1.45 ft	Normal	−0.12 ft	27 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Tar River at US 401 at Louisburg higher than last year?

No, it is 0.24 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.68 ft.

What is flood stage for the Tar River at US 401 at Louisburg?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 16.56 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Tar River at US 401 at Louisburg in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.19 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.74 ft and 6.29 ft, based on 38 years of records.

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 Tar River at US 401 at Louisburg today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:45 PM EDT, the water level was 3.44 ft. Down 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Tar River at US 401 at Louisburg rising or falling?

Down 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.26 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Tar River at US 401 at Louisburg normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 38 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02081747 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.09306, -78.29611 (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	3.44 ft	2026-10-21 01:45	Provisional
Flow	23.3 cfs	2026-10-21 01:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Tar River at US 401 at Louisburg (usgs:02081747). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/tar-river-at-us-401-at-louisburg

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