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St. Johns River near Sanford water level

River gauge, St. Johns River, Florida, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

4.03ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
4,440 cfs
3 5 8 Highest onrecord 8.96 ft Minor floodstage 5.50 ft

History

246ftOct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Minor flood stage246ftOct 13Oct 18Oct 24Minor flood stage
246ftSep 20Sep 28Oct 7Oct 15Oct 24Minor flood stage246ftSep 20Oct 7Oct 24Minor flood stage
-0246ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage-0246ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
-0246ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-0246ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.20 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 08:48 PM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The St. Johns River near Sanford is at 4.03 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 3.74 ft, based on 33 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.29 ft above typical. It is 1.47 ft below the flood stage of 5.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 4.59 ft, a difference of −0.56 ft.

It has dropped 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.20 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 2.75 ft and 4.10 ft.

Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
3.74 ft0.29 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.13 ft – 6.99 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year
4.59 ft−0.56 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2.75 ft – 4.10 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.50 ft – 4.84 ft
Highest on record
8.96 ftOctober 9, 2022
Forecast peak
4.20 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM

Floating and fishing near St. Johns River near Sanford

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

Flood stage here is 5.50 ft, 1.47 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

13.00 ft
Water level rises in parking lots at Lake Monroe Hospital and approaches New Tribes Mission in Sanford.
11.00 ft
Water enters the Sailpoint Apartments, Lake Monroe Inn, City Hall and approaches the Courthouse in Sanford.
10.50 ft
Water enters the Regatta Shores Apartments and Towne Center Apartments in Sanford.
10.00 ft
Water enters the old Post Office and Sanford Landing Apartments in Sanford.
9.50 ft
Water encroaches on Sanford Landing Apartments and other low lying structures along the waterfront.
9.00 ft
Flooding becomes more significant to the Sanford waterfront area. Water approaches low lying areas on the waterfront.
8.00 ft
Flooding becomes more significant to low lying structures and marinas along the river in Volusia and Seminole counties, including Sanford, Enterprise and Lake Monroe.
7.40 ft
Many secondary roads are flooded and may become impassable around Lake Monroe and in Enterprise. Rising water begins to impact more areas of Stone Island and water approaches homes in River Oaks Estates.
7.00 ft
Water begins to move over sea wall around Lake Monroe and rises into grassy areas around the sea wall. Water begins to encroach on Seminole Boulevard.
6.50 ft
Water enters a few lower lying homes in the Stone Island and Stillbrook subdivisions. The road into Stone Island becomes impassable. Water rises onto low lying property near Sanford. Parks and docks are flooded near Lake Monroe.
6.20 ft
Water completely surrounds many homes in the Stone Island and Still Brook subdivisions. Pool enclosures and patios become flooded. Water covers many of the roads. Flooding occurs on Enterprise Road and in the Bethel Loop subdivision.
6.00 ft
Water encroaches on low lying roads, also pool enclosures and patios in the Stone Island area.
4.03 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: 32 %.

RankLevelDate
18.96 ftOctober 9, 2022
27.89 ftSeptember 2, 2008
37.51 ftOctober 4, 2004
47.23 ftSeptember 23, 2017
57.20 ftOctober 8, 2017
67.16 ftOctober 18, 2024
77.00 ftNovember 10, 2022
86.55 ftNovember 26, 1994
96.35 ftMarch 9, 1998
105.99 ftNovember 2, 1999

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.11 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 76° 64° 0.04 in, 28% Wind 18 mph
19 Mon 75° 63° 0.06 in Wind 16 mph
20 Tue 79° 60° – Wind 13 mph
21 Wed 82° 62° – Wind 14 mph
22 Thu 80° 63° – Wind 12 mph
23 Fri 79° 62° – Wind 15 mph
24 Sat 79° 67° 0.02 in, 25% Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:29 AM Sunset 06:52 PM Daylight 11 hr, 23 min First quarter 58%

Map

Other gauges on the St. Johns River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
St. Johns River near MelbourneRiver gauge, St. Johns River 6.68 ft High −0.03 ft 63 mi
St. Johns River near CocoaRiver gauge, St. Johns River 15.46 ft High +0.02 ft 42 mi
St. Johns River near ChristmasRiver gauge, St. Johns River 7.97 ft Normal +0.01 ft 31 mi
St. Johns River above Lake Harney near GenevaRiver gauge, St. Johns River 6.83 ft Normal ±0 19 mi
St. Johns River near De LandRiver gauge, St. Johns River 3.26 ft Normal +0.11 ft 12 mi
St. Johns River at AstorTidal gauge, St. Johns River 2.98 ft Flooding +0.36 ft 26 mi
St. Johns River at Buffalo Bluff near SatsumaTidal gauge, St. Johns River 12.66 ft High +0.15 ft 57 mi
St. Johns River at JacksonvilleTidal gauge, St. Johns River 13.12 ft Very high +1.06 ft 105 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Wekiva River near SanfordRiver gauge, Wekiva River 3.60 ft Very high −0.12 ft 6.0 mi
Blue Springs near Orange CityRiver gauge, Blue Springs 3.48 ft Normal +0.01 ft 7 mi
Soldier Creek near LongwoodRiver gauge, Soldier Creek 5.31 ft Low −0.07 ft 8 mi
Gee Creek near LongwoodRiver gauge, Gee Creek 7.61 ft Normal −0.19 ft 9 mi
Blackwater Creek near CassiaRiver gauge, Blackwater Creek 7.28 ft High −0.03 ft 10 mi
Howell Creek at State Highway 434 near OviedoRiver gauge, Howell Creek 6.81 ft Normal −0.19 ft 11 mi
Little Wekiva River near Altamonte SpringsRiver gauge, Little Wekiva River 23.90 ft Normal −0.02 ft 11 mi
Howell Creek near SlaviaRiver gauge, Howell Creek 29.25 ft Low −0.08 ft 14 mi

Questions and answers

Is the St. Johns River near Sanford higher than last year?

No, it is 0.56 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.59 ft.

What is flood stage for the St. Johns River near Sanford?

The official flood stage is 5.50 ft. The level is currently 1.47 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the St. Johns River near Sanford in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.74 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.13 ft and 6.99 ft, based on 33 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 St. Johns River near Sanford today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 06:30 AM EDT, the water level was 4.03 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is St. Johns River near Sanford rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of St. Johns River near Sanford normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 33 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:02234500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
28.83805, -81.32423 (WGS84)
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 4.03 ft 2026-10-19 10:30 Provisional
Flow 4,440 cfs 2026-10-19 10:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: St. Johns River near Sanford (usgs:02234500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/florida/st-johns-river-near-sanford

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