Patuxent River near Bowie water level

Name: Patuxent River near Bowie 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

4.53ft Down 0.20 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 10:45 PM EDT (45 min ago)

Flow: 163 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Patuxent River near Bowie is at 4.53 ft, in the normal range.

It is 14.47 ft below the flood stage of 19.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.20 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 4.47 ft and 6.24 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: 27.90 ftJune 22, 1972

Floating and fishing near Patuxent River near Bowie

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 19.00 ft, 14.47 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	27.90 ft	June 22, 1972
2	21.10 ft	September 8, 2011
3	20.56 ft	May 1, 2014
4	19.20 ft	June 26, 2006
5	18.52 ft	September 7, 1979
6	18.04 ft	January 27, 1978
7	18.02 ft	October 30, 2012

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.33 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 56° 39° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 64° 42° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 69° 48° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 63° 49° – Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 66° 44° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 64° 46° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 61° 46° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:22 AM Sunset 06:23 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min First quarter 65%

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	28 mi
Patuxent River below Brighton Dam near Brighton MDRiver gauge, Patuxent River	1.58 ft	Below flood stage	+0.09 ft	23 mi
Patuxent River near LaurelRiver gauge, Patuxent River	4.29 ft	Below flood stage	±0	15 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork Jabez Branch at MillersvilleRiver gauge, South Fork Jabez Branch	0.1 cfs	Low	±0	8 mi
Western Branch at Upper MarlboroRiver gauge, Western Branch	1.88 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	10 mi
Northeast Branch Anacostia River at RiverdaleRiver gauge, Northeast Branch Anacostia River	0.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	12 mi
Watts Branch at WashingtonRiver gauge, Watts Branch	4.15 ft	Below flood stage	±0	14 mi
Little Patuxent River at SavageRiver gauge, Little Patuxent River	3.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	14 mi
Hickey Run at National Arboretum at WashingtonRiver gauge, Hickey Run	0.3 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	15 mi
Sawmill Creek at Glen BurnieRiver gauge, Sawmill Creek	1.88 ft	Below flood stage	±0	15 mi
Paint Branch near College ParkRiver gauge, Paint Branch	1.50 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	15 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Patuxent River near Bowie?

The official flood stage is 19.00 ft. The level is currently 14.47 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 Bowie today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 10:45 PM EDT, the water level was 4.53 ft. Down 0.20 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Patuxent River near Bowie rising or falling?

Down 0.20 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Patuxent River near Bowie 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 Bowie?

The highest level on record is 27.90 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:01594440 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.95592, -76.69369 (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	4.53 ft	2026-10-20 02:45	Provisional
Flow	163 cfs	2026-10-20 02:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Patuxent River near Bowie (usgs:01594440). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maryland/patuxent-river-near-bowie

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