Schuylkill River at Philadelphia water level

Name: Schuylkill River at Philadelphia 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, Schuylkill River, Pennsylvania, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

6.20ft Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 10:00 PM EDT (2 hours ago)

Flow: 1,560 cfs
Water temperature: 60 °F

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 6.10 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:24 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Schuylkill River at Philadelphia reads 6.20 ft, a normal level.

It is 4.80 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 6.10 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 6.20 ft and 6.34 ft.

The water temperature at the gauge is 60 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 16.35 ftSeptember 2, 2021
Forecast peak: 6.20 ftMonday, October 19 at 08:00 PM

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 11.00 ft, still 4.80 ft away.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft: First floor apartments and businesses on Main Street in Manayunk are completely submerged between Shurs Lane and Green Lane. Ridge Avenue floods.
13.00 ft: Main Street in Manayunk is closed from Ridge Avenue to Leverington Street.
12.00 ft: Main Street in Manayunk floods in the area of Shurs Lane.
11.50 ft: Route 1 off ramp to Ridge Avenue is flooded and closed. MLK Drive is flooded and closed between Greenland Drive and Montgomery Drive.
11.00 ft: Kelly Drive is flooded and closed between Hunting Park Avenue and Falls Bridge. The Flat Rock area is flooded.
10.40 ft: Kelly Drive is flooded and closed between North Ferry Road and Falls Bridge.
6.20 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: 12 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.35 ft	September 2, 2021
2	14.80 ft	March 1, 1902
3	14.70 ft	August 24, 1933
4	14.65 ft	June 23, 1972
5	14.57 ft	June 2, 1946
6	14.10 ft	September 17, 1999
7	13.91 ft	May 1, 2014
8	13.56 ft	August 28, 2011
9	13.36 ft	January 20, 1996
10	13.28 ft	August 5, 2020

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.09 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 65° 39° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 67° 47° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 62° 47° – Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 67° 47° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 60° 50° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 61° 46° – Wind 4 mph

25 Sun 63° 47° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:17 AM Sunset 06:15 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 65%

Map

Other gauges on the Schuylkill River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Schuylkill River at LandingvilleRiver gauge, Schuylkill River	3.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	67 mi
Schuylkill River at BerneRiver gauge, Schuylkill River	5.19 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	57 mi
Schuylkill River at ReadingRiver gauge, Schuylkill River	3.64 ft	Below flood stage	−0.22 ft	47 mi
Schuylkill River at PottstownRiver gauge, Schuylkill River	2.52 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	31 mi
Schuylkill River at NorristownRiver gauge, Schuylkill River	8.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	14 mi
Schuylkill River at ConshohockenRiver gauge, Schuylkill River	7.33 ft	No reference yet	−0.13 ft	10 mi
Schuylkill River at Manayunk, PhiladelphiaRiver gauge, Schuylkill River	11.44 ft	Normal	−0.17 ft	4.5 mi
Schuylkill River near 30th St at PhiladelphiaRiver gauge, Schuylkill River	2.69 ft	Very high	+2.10 ft	0.9 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wissahickon Creek at Mouth, PhiladelphiaRiver gauge, Wissahickon Creek	75.8 cfs	Normal	±0	3.4 mi
Cobbs Creek at Mt. Moriah Cemetery, PhiladelphiaRiver gauge, Cobbs Creek	2.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	3.6 mi
Cobbs Cr at U.S. Hghwy No. 1 at PhiladelphiaRiver gauge, Cobbs Cr	3.4 cfs	Normal	±0	4.9 mi
Darby Creek near DarbyRiver gauge, Darby Creek	32.8 cfs	Normal	±0	5.2 mi
Frankford Creek at Castor Ave, PhiladelphiaRiver gauge, Frankford Creek	1.60 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	5.9 mi
Darby Creek at 84th St Bridge at EastwickRiver gauge, Darby Creek	3.39 ft	Very high	+0.99 ft	5.9 mi
Tacony Creek above Adams Avenue, PhiladelphiaRiver gauge, Tacony Creek	11.6 cfs	Normal	±0	7 mi
Cooper River at Haddonfield NJRiver gauge, Cooper River	1.36 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Schuylkill River at Philadelphia?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 4.80 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 Schuylkill River at Philadelphia today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 10:00 PM EDT, the water level was 6.20 ft. Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Schuylkill River at Philadelphia rising or falling?

Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Schuylkill River at Philadelphia normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Schuylkill River at Philadelphia?

The highest level on record is 16.35 ft on September 2, 2021.

Is Schuylkill River at Philadelphia expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 6.10 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01474500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.96779, -75.18850 (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	6.20 ft	2026-10-20 02:00	Provisional
Flow	1,560 cfs	2026-10-20 02:00	Provisional
Water temperature	60 °F	2026-10-20 02:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Schuylkill River at Philadelphia (usgs:01474500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/pennsylvania/schuylkill-river-at-philadelphia

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