Scioto River at Circleville OH water level

Name: Scioto River at Circleville 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

Below flood stage

Water level

2.56ft Down 0.25 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 09:45 AM EDT (35 min ago)

Flow: 1,480 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Scioto River at Circleville OH reads 2.56 ft, a normal level.

It is 12.44 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.25 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.56 ft and 3.21 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 26.17 ftJanuary 22, 1959

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 15.00 ft, still 12.44 ft away.

What happens at each level

28.20 ft: This is the flood of record, which occurred in March 1913. Backwater flooding along Hargus Creek inundates numerous homes, with areas of West Main Street near the U.S. 23 entrance ramps are flooded. Major flooding occurs along Mill and Canal Roads, as well as Island Road and State Route 762. Backwater flooding affects areas along Big Darby Creek. Major flooding within Circleville itself is mostly limited to properties along Hargus Creek.
26.50 ft: This is similar to the FEMA 1 percent flood. Major flooding occurs to the west and north of Circleville, including Mill, Canal and Island Roads. Many structures along Hargus Creek are flooded due to backwater. Most of the rest of Circleville itself is not impacted until about 30 feet. Parts of State Route 762 and State Route 316 are flooded and some sections of Route 23 may also be impacted. In addition, backwater flooding affects areas along Big Darby Creek.
25.00 ft: Numerous properties are flooded along Hargus Creek due to backwater, in addition to flooded homes along areas of Canal, Mill and Island Roads west and north of Circleville, as well as State Route 762. Flooding likely affects the Pickaway County Sheriff's office and Circleville Juvenile Correctional Center. Backwater flooding affects areas along Big Darby Creek.
24.00 ft: Backwater flooding affects homes along Hargus Creek, likely surrounding or possibly inundating homes north of the park. Some areas of the Pickaway County Sheriff's office and Circleville Juvenile Correctional facility are possibly flooded. Long stretches of Island Road, Mill Road and Canal Road are flooded, including flooded homes.
23.00 ft: Flooding of homes is likley along Mill and Canal Roads, as well as Island Road and State Route 762. Backwater flooding affects areas along Big Darby Creek, with flooding along Hargus Creek surrounding some homes and covers nearly all of Ted Lewis Park. State route 56 is also flooded north of U.S. 22. High water overtakes much the Cooks Creek nature preserve.
22.00 ft: Stretches of Island Road are flooded, with some residents cut off north of Commercial Point Road. Flood water could flood homes along Mill Road, with long stretches of Canal Road flooded. Backwater flooding along Hargus Creek floods much of Ted Lewis Park.
21.00 ft: Flood waters approach structures west of Circleville along Mill and Canal Roads, as well as Island Road and State Route 762. Backwater flooding can be expected near Big Darby Creek, with flooding near the Scioto river junction with Little Walnut Creek at the nature preserve along U.S. 23. Backwater flooding along Hargus Creek also floods some of Ted Lewis Park in Circleville.
20.00 ft: Flooding occurs mainly west of Circleville along Mill and Canal Roads, as well as Island Road and State Route 762, with some Island Road residents cut off north of Commercial Point Road. Backwater flooding along Big Darby Creek causes flooding along roadways, with backwater flooding along Hargus Creek flooding low areas of Ted Lewis Park. Flooding may occur along State Route 56 north of U.S. 22 west of Circleville.
19.00 ft: Flooding affects areas of Mill and Canal Roads, as well as Island road and State Route 762. Backwater flooding along Big Darby Creek causes flooding of some low lying roads, and some backwater flooding along Hargus Creek affects low spots of Ted Lewis Park. Flooding of the Cooks Creek Preserve also occurs.
18.00 ft: Low-lying areas north of Circleville near Little Walnut begin to flood. Flooding also worsens at the intersection of Canal Road and State Route 104 and on Island Road north of Circleville. Minor backwater flooding occurs along Big Darby Creek near Circleville.
17.00 ft: Lowland flooding continues along the river, with flooding along Island Road worsening. Canal Road near State Route 104 also has flooding, as well as Cooks Creek Nature Preserve and State Route 762 in northern Pickaway County.
16.00 ft: Lowland flooding continues along the river and about one foot of water can be expected along portions of Island Road.
2.56 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: 28 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	26.17 ft	January 22, 1959
2	23.36 ft	January 7, 2005
3	22.50 ft	January 28, 1952
4	22.32 ft	January 6, 2004
5	22.30 ft	February 27, 1929
6	22.04 ft	January 13, 2005
7	22.00 ft	March 11, 1964
8	21.90 ft	March 6, 1963
9	21.86 ft	April 4, 2024
10	21.76 ft	September 16, 1979

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:46 AM Sunset 06:50 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 50%

Map

Other gauges on the Scioto River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Scioto River at Kenton OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	45.3 cfs	Very high	+2.6 cfs	80 mi
Scioto River at La Rue OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	1.71 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	71 mi
Scioto River near Prospect OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	1.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	58 mi
Scioto River below O'Shaughnessy Dam near Dublin OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	94.9 cfs	Normal	−24.1 cfs	38 mi
Scioto River at 5th Ave at Columbus OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	146 cfs	Normal	−51.0 cfs	27 mi
Scioto River at Columbus OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	5.53 ft	Below flood stage	−0.18 ft	21 mi
Scioto River near Commercial Point OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	821 cfs	Normal	−149.0 cfs	12 mi
Scioto River at Chillicothe OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	3.34 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	18 mi
Scioto River at Higby OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	2,330 cfs	High	−250.0 cfs	27 mi
Scioto River at Piketon OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	2.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.21 ft	37 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Walnut Creek at Ashville OHRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	148 cfs	High	−4.0 cfs	8 mi
Deer Creek at Williamsport OHRiver gauge, Deer Creek	3.69 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	9 mi
Big Darby Creek at Darbyville OHRiver gauge, Big Darby Creek	3.25 ft	Below flood stage	−0.27 ft	11 mi
Deer Creek near Pancoastburg OHRiver gauge, Deer Creek	1.71 ft	High	±0	14 mi
Big Walnut Creek at Rees OHRiver gauge, Big Walnut Creek	262 cfs	High	−67.0 cfs	18 mi
Deer Creek at Mount Sterling OHRiver gauge, Deer Creek	52.7 cfs	Normal	−8.1 cfs	18 mi
Paint Creek at Chillicothe OHRiver gauge, Paint Creek	307 cfs	Normal	−15.0 cfs	19 mi
Clear Creek near Rockbridge OHRiver gauge, Clear Creek	60.7 cfs	Very high	−6.4 cfs	20 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Scioto River at Circleville OH?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 12.44 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 Scioto River at Circleville OH today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 09:45 AM EDT, the water level was 2.56 ft. Down 0.25 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Scioto River at Circleville OH rising or falling?

Down 0.25 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Scioto River at Circleville OH normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Scioto River at Circleville OH?

The highest level on record is 26.17 ft on January 22, 1959.

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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03230700 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.60145, -82.95518 (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	2.56 ft	2026-10-18 13:45	Provisional
Flow	1,480 cfs	2026-10-18 13:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Scioto River at Circleville OH (usgs:03230700). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/ohio/scioto-river-at-circleville-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