Missouri River at Jefferson City water level
River gauge, Missouri River, Missouri, United States
Right now
Below flood stage
Water level
- Flow
- 73,100 cfs
History
The forecast expects the river to rise to 9.10 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 01:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:18 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.
What this means
The gauge at Missouri River at Jefferson City reads 8.96 ft, a normal level.
It is 14.04 ft below the flood stage of 23.00 ft.
The level is falling, down 0.48 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 9.10 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 01:00 AM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 8.96 ft and 10.55 ft.
Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Highest on record
- 38.65 ftJuly 30, 1993
- Lowest on record
- −2.89 ftDecember 29, 2022
- Forecast peak
- 9.10 ftWednesday, October 21 at 01:00 AM
What the stage means on the water
A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.
The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 23.00 ft, still 14.04 ft away.
What happens at each level
- 39.20 ft
- The water treatment plant at McBaine begins flooding near this height.
- 39.00 ft
- Interstate 70 just west of the Rocheport bridge begins flooding near this height.
- 37.00 ft
- U.S. Highway 54 north of the U.S. Highway 63 split in Callaway County begins flooding near this height.
- 36.00 ft
- On the NW side of Jefferson City, Highway 179 at Boonville Road and Western Air Street begin flooding. On the SE side, Eastland Drive, St. Louis Road, and East McCarty Street begin flooding.
- 35.00 ft
- Missouri Boulevard at the Expressway begin to flood.
- 34.10 ft
- Both lanes of U.S. Highway 63, north of Jefferson City, begin to flood. Also, Highway 50 begins flooding near this height.
- 33.50 ft
- The Cole Junction levee northwest of Jefferson City is overtopped near this height.
- 32.00 ft
- Highway 179 at Marion, west of Jefferson City, floods. In downtown Jefferson City, Missouri Boulevard, Broadway Street, and West Dunklin Street all begin flooding. Also, this represents the protection level of the levee protecting Hartsburg, MO and the Rievaux levee just west of Wainwright.
- 31.10 ft
- The Katy Trail floods near Claysville.
- 31.00 ft
- Railroad tracks begin to flood. The Cedar City levee at the Highway 63 bridge, the Capitol View levee south of the airport, the Wainwright levee, and the Jacobs levee near Tebbetts all overtop near this height.
- 30.50 ft
- The Renz levee upstream of Jefferson City and north of the Missouri River and the Capitol View levee protecting the airport are overtopped near this height.
- 30.10 ft
- Power plant operations are affected. Airport property begins to flood.
- 8.96 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: 27 %.
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 38.65 ft | July 30, 1993 |
| 2 | 34.20 ft | July 18, 1951 |
| 3 | 33.41 ft | June 7, 2019 |
| 4 | 33.05 ft | May 19, 1995 |
| 5 | 32.60 ft | October 5, 1986 |
| 6 | 32.18 ft | April 27, 1944 |
| 7 | 31.85 ft | September 29, 1993 |
| 8 | 31.40 ft | April 24, 1973 |
| 9 | 30.83 ft | June 2, 2013 |
| 10 | 30.59 ft | June 8, 2001 |
Weather at the gauge
No rain in the last 3 days.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Other gauges on the Missouri River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri River above ParkvilleRiver gauge, Missouri River | 10.76 ft | Below flood stage | +0.08 ft | 145 mi |
| Missouri River at Kansas CityRiver gauge, Missouri River | 13.27 ft | Below flood stage | +0.02 ft | 135 mi |
| Missouri River at NapoleonRiver gauge, Missouri River | 9.86 ft | Below flood stage | +0.14 ft | 108 mi |
| Missouri River at WaverlyRiver gauge, Missouri River | 13.99 ft | Below flood stage | +0.15 ft | 84 mi |
| Missouri River at GlasgowRiver gauge, Missouri River | 14.60 ft | Below flood stage | −0.06 ft | 57 mi |
| Missouri River at BoonvilleRiver gauge, Missouri River | 10.35 ft | Below flood stage | −0.26 ft | 41 mi |
| Missouri River at HermannRiver gauge, Missouri River | 8.14 ft | Below flood stage | −0.67 ft | 41 mi |
| Missouri River at WashingtonRiver gauge, Missouri River | 6.03 ft | Below flood stage | −0.61 ft | 63 mi |
| Missouri River near LabadieRiver gauge, Missouri River | 69,700 cfs | Normal | −5,300.0 cfs | 72 mi |
| Missouri River at St. CharlesRiver gauge, Missouri River | 13.28 ft | Below flood stage | −0.56 ft | 93 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moreau River near Jefferson CityRiver gauge, Moreau River | 1.76 ft | Below flood stage | −0.22 ft | 4.1 mi |
| Osage River below St. ThomasRiver gauge, Osage River | 2.65 ft | Below flood stage | +0.17 ft | 12 mi |
| Maries River at WestphaliaRiver gauge, Maries River | 0.28 ft | Below flood stage | ±0 | 15 mi |
| Tavern Creek below St. ElizabethRiver gauge, Tavern Creek | 0.42 ft | Below flood stage | −0.02 ft | 22 mi |
| Auxvasse Creek near ReformRiver gauge, Auxvasse Creek | 5.2 cfs | Low | −1.8 cfs | 22 mi |
| Gasconade River near Rich FountainRiver gauge, Gasconade River | 1.99 ft | Below flood stage | +0.02 ft | 24 mi |
| Hinkson Creek at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Hinkson Creek | 4.09 ft | Below flood stage | −0.09 ft | 25 mi |
| Osage River at TuscumbiaRiver gauge, Osage River | 1.61 ft | Below flood stage | +0.11 ft | 29 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for the Missouri River at Jefferson City?
The official flood stage is 23.00 ft. The level is currently 14.04 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 Missouri River at Jefferson City today?
On Oct 19, 2026, 01:45 PM CDT, the water level was 8.96 ft. Down 0.48 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is Missouri River at Jefferson City rising or falling?
Down 0.48 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Missouri River at Jefferson City normal?
Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Missouri River at Jefferson City?
The highest level on record is 38.65 ft on July 30, 1993. The lowest is −2.89 ft on December 29, 2022.
Is Missouri River at Jefferson City expected to rise?
The forecast expects the river to rise to 9.10 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 01:00 AM.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Station code
usgs:06910450(Agency page)- Coordinates
38.58711, -92.17864(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 | 8.96 ft | 2026-10-19 18:45 | Provisional |
| Flow | 73,100 cfs | 2026-10-19 19:45 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Missouri River at Jefferson City (usgs:06910450). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/missouri/missouri-river-at-jefferson-city
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