Wf of Nb Chicago River at Deerfield water level

Name: Wf of Nb Chicago River at Deerfield 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, Wf of Nb Chicago River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

7.21ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 07:10 AM CDT (32 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 7.21 ft, the Wf of Nb Chicago River at Deerfield is below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.07 ft below the median of 7.28 ft for mid-October, based on 9 years of readings. It is 5.79 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 7.39 ft (−0.18 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 7.21 ft and 8.49 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 7.28 ft0.07 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 7.15 ft – 7.83 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
Same day last year: 7.39 ft−0.18 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 7.21 ft – 8.49 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 7.11 ft – 9.62 ft
Highest on record: 16.84 ftJune 10, 1967

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 13.00 ft, still 5.79 ft away.

What happens at each level

19.50 ft: I-94 threatened.
18.00 ft: Numerous commercial structures threatened off Lake-Cook Road and Pfingsten Road. Residential structures threatened along Hazel Avenue. Lake-Cook Road and Pfingsten Road threatened.
17.50 ft: Deerfield Wastewater Treatment Plant threatened. Residential structures threatened along Mallard Lane and Princeton Lane.
17.00 ft: Residential structures threatened along Gerard Drive, Forestway Drive, Anthony Lane, and Deerpath Drive. Deerfield Road, Central Avenue, Wilmot Road, and Hazel Avenue threatened. Large portions of Jaycee Memorial Park inundated. Athletic fields at Shephard Park inundated.
16.50 ft: Several residential structures threatened along Cranshire Court, Hampton Court, and Arbor Vitae Road. A few commercial structures threatened off Lake-Cook Road and Pfingsten Road. Forestway Drive and Juniper Court threatened.
16.00 ft: A few residential structures threatened along Maple Court. Gerard Drive threatened.
15.50 ft: A few residential structures threatened along Cranshire Court. Hampton Court threatened.
13.50 ft: Commercial parking lots threatened off Lake-Cook Road and Pfingsten Road.
12.00 ft: Water begins to be diverted into the stormwater detention reservoir near Lake-Cook Road.
9.00 ft: Water overflows low-lying banks in Deerfield.
7.21 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.84 ft	June 10, 1967
2	14.90 ft	July 21, 2019
3	14.81 ft	September 3, 2018
4	14.44 ft	September 13, 2019
5	14.06 ft	October 14, 2017
6	14.02 ft	May 17, 2020
7	13.88 ft	May 23, 2020

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 65° 43° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 69° 40° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 71° 55° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 73° 57° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 72° 59° – Wind 10 mph

25 Sun 74° 59° – Wind 9 mph

26 Mon 69° 47° 0.33 in Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:10 AM Sunset 06:03 PM Daylight 10 hr, 53 min First quarter 68%

Map

Other gauges on the Wf of Nb Chicago River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wf of Nb Chicago River at NorthbrookRiver gauge, Wf of Nb Chicago River	0.95 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	2.3 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Branch Chicago River at DeerfieldRiver gauge, North Branch Chicago River	4.40 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	2.2 mi
Skokie River near Highland ParkRiver gauge, Skokie River	2.68 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	3.1 mi
Des Plaines River at LincolnshireRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	7.49 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	3.9 mi
Skokie River at Lake ForestRiver gauge, Skokie River	2.05 ft	Normal	±0	4.5 mi
Buffalo Creek near WheelingRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek	1.53 ft	Normal	−0.12 ft	5.3 mi
Mc Donald Creek near Mount ProspectRiver gauge, Mc Donald Creek	0.87 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	5.7 mi
Des Plaines River near Des PlainesRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	9.16 ft	High	−0.07 ft	5.7 mi
Weller Creek at Des PlainesRiver gauge, Weller Creek	0.72 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	9 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Wf of Nb Chicago River at Deerfield compare with last year?

It is 0.18 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 7.39 ft.

What is flood stage for the Wf of Nb Chicago River at Deerfield?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 5.79 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Wf of Nb Chicago River at Deerfield in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 7.28 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 7.15 ft and 7.83 ft, based on 9 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 Wf of Nb Chicago River at Deerfield today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 07:10 AM CDT, the water level was 7.21 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Wf of Nb Chicago River at Deerfield rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.09 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Wf of Nb Chicago River at Deerfield normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 9 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:05535400 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.16734, -87.85702 (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	7.21 ft	2026-10-20 12:10	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Wf of Nb Chicago River at Deerfield (usgs:05535400). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/wf-of-nb-chicago-river-at-deerfield

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