Scioto River at 5th Ave at Columbus OH water level

Name: Scioto River at 5th Ave at Columbus OH 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, Scioto River, Ohio, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

6.92ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:15 AM EDT (41 min ago)

Flow: 140 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The Scioto River at 5th Ave at Columbus OH is at 6.92 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 6.92 ft and 7.14 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 22.63 ftApril 4, 2018

Floating and fishing near Scioto River at 5th Ave at Columbus OH

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	22.63 ft	April 4, 2018
2	20.64 ft	June 20, 2015
3	19.71 ft	May 19, 2020
4	19.04 ft	March 20, 2020
5	17.39 ft	December 29, 2015

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.13 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 65° 35° – Wind 4 mph

20 Tue 68° 40° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 69° 50° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 68° 49° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 68° 51° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 69° 51° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 70° 51° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:48 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min First quarter 59%

Map

Other gauges on the Scioto River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Scioto River at Kenton OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	41.5 cfs	Very high	−3.8 cfs	54 mi
Scioto River at La Rue OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	1.73 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	44 mi
Scioto River near Prospect OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	1.51 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	31 mi
Scioto River below O'Shaughnessy Dam near Dublin OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	103 cfs	Normal	+8.1 cfs	11 mi
Scioto River at Columbus OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	5.38 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	6 mi
Scioto River near Commercial Point OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	701 cfs	Normal	−120.0 cfs	15 mi
Scioto River at Circleville OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	2.25 ft	Below flood stage	−0.31 ft	27 mi
Scioto River at Chillicothe OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	3.12 ft	Below flood stage	−0.22 ft	45 mi
Scioto River at Higby OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	2,080 cfs	High	−250.0 cfs	55 mi
Scioto River at Piketon OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	2.81 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	64 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Olentangy River at J H Herrick Dr at Columbus OHRiver gauge, Olentangy River	79.7 cfs	Very high	−11.8 cfs	2.4 mi
Alum Creek at Columbus OHRiver gauge, Alum Creek	2.52 ft	High	−0.01 ft	7 mi
Olentangy River near Worthington OHRiver gauge, Olentangy River	1.81 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	9 mi
Hellbranch Run near Harrisburg OHRiver gauge, Hellbranch Run	11.2 cfs	High	−2.1 cfs	11 mi
Big Walnut Creek at Rees OHRiver gauge, Big Walnut Creek	247 cfs	High	−18.0 cfs	11 mi
Little Darby Creek at West Jefferson OHRiver gauge, Little Darby Creek	158 cfs	Very high	−44.0 cfs	11 mi
Big Walnut Creek at Central College OHRiver gauge, Big Walnut Creek	3.76 ft	Below flood stage	±0	13 mi
Hoover Reservoir at Central College OHReservoir, Hoover Reservoir	891.50 ft	Very high	−0.11 ft	13 mi

Questions and answers

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 Scioto River at 5th Ave at Columbus OH today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:15 AM EDT, the water level was 6.92 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Scioto River at 5th Ave at Columbus OH rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Scioto River at 5th Ave at Columbus OH normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Scioto River at 5th Ave at Columbus OH?

The highest level on record is 22.63 ft on April 4, 2018.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03221646 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.98917, -83.06778 (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	6.92 ft	2026-10-19 13:15	Provisional
Flow	140 cfs	2026-10-19 13:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Scioto River at 5th Ave at Columbus OH (usgs:03221646). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/ohio/scioto-river-at-5th-ave-at-columbus-oh

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