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Hillsborough River near Tampa water level

River gauge, Hillsborough River, Florida, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

21.67ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
473 cfs
21 22

History

2122ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 202122ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20
2122ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 13Oct 202122ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20
182022ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026182022ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
182022ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026182022ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Hillsborough River near Tampa, where the gauge shows 21.67 ft.

The median for mid-October is 22.37 ft, based on 57 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.70 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 21.21 ft, a difference of +0.46 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 21.52 ft – 21.79 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 57 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
22.37 ft0.70 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
20.87 ft – 22.73 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (57 years of records)
Same day last year
21.21 ft+0.46 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
21.52 ft – 21.79 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
18.80 ft – 21.94 ft

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.30 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 79° 59° – Wind 11 mph
21 Wed 79° 58° – Wind 10 mph
22 Thu 80° 64° – Wind 12 mph
23 Fri 80° 61° – Wind 14 mph
24 Sat 83° 63° – Wind 17 mph
25 Sun 78° 68° – Wind 22 mph
26 Mon 85° 68° – Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:57 PM Daylight 11 hr, 23 min First quarter 69%

Map

Other gauges on the Hillsborough River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Hillsborough River above Crystal Spr near ZephyrhillsRiver gauge, Hillsborough River 53.68 ft Very high −0.17 ft 19 mi
Hillsborough River below Crystal Spr near ZephyrhillsRiver gauge, Hillsborough River 51.51 ft High −0.35 ft 18 mi
Hillsborough River at State Park near ZephyrhillsRiver gauge, Hillsborough River 2.44 ft Very high −0.28 ft 15 mi
Hillsborough River at Morris Branch near ThonotosassaRiver gauge, Hillsborough River 27.05 ft High −0.19 ft 9 mi
Hillsborough River at Fowler Av near Temple TerraceRiver gauge, Hillsborough River 22.31 ft Normal −0.14 ft 4.4 mi
Hillsborough River at Rowlett Park Drain near TampaTidal gauge, Hillsborough River 459 cfs Normal −66.0 cfs 0.5 mi
Hillsborough River at I-275 Bridge at Sulphur SpringsRiver gauge, Hillsborough River 1.47 ft No reference yet +0.20 ft 1.7 mi
Hillsborough River at Platt Street at TampaRiver gauge, Hillsborough River 12.10 ft No reference yet +0.16 ft 6.0 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Sulphur Springs at Sulphur SpringsRiver gauge, Sulphur Springs 7.11 ft Normal ±0 1.5 mi
Sulphur Springs Run at Sulphur SpringsRiver gauge, Sulphur Springs Run 1.75 ft Very high +0.13 ft 1.5 mi
Curiosity Creek at 122nd Ave near Sulphur SpringsRiver gauge, Curiosity Creek 29.78 ft Very low −0.03 ft 3.2 mi
Lake Eckles near CarrollwoodLake, Lake Eckles 29.27 ft Normal −0.01 ft 3.5 mi
East Lake Outfall at E. Chelsea St. near TampaRiver gauge, East Lake Outfall 21.94 ft Normal −0.07 ft 4.3 mi
Cypress Creek near Sulphur SpringsRiver gauge, Cypress Creek 28.76 ft High −0.02 ft 4.6 mi
Sweetwater Creek near Sulphur SpringsRiver gauge, Sweetwater Creek 3.1 cfs Normal −0.5 cfs 5.3 mi
Henry Street Canal at Benjamin Road near TampaCanal gauge, Henry Street Canal 8.33 ft Low −0.04 ft 7 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Hillsborough River near Tampa higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.46 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 21.21 ft.

What is a normal level for the Hillsborough River near Tampa in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 22.37 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 20.87 ft and 22.73 ft, based on 57 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 Hillsborough River near Tampa today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:30 AM EDT, the water level was 21.67 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Hillsborough River near Tampa rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Hillsborough River near Tampa normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 57 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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:02304500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
28.02391, -82.42759 (WGS84)
Vertical datum
NGVD29
Update interval
every 15 minutes
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 21.67 ft 2026-10-20 13:30 Provisional
Flow 473 cfs 2026-10-20 13:30 Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Hillsborough River near Tampa (usgs:02304500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/florida/hillsborough-river-near-tampa

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