James River near Richmond water level

Name: James River near Richmond 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, James River, Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.08ft Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 10:30 PM EDT (43 min ago)

Flow: 2,670 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.80 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 10:48 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at James River near Richmond reads 4.08 ft, a normal level.

It is 7.92 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.16 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.80 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.08 ft and 4.90 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 28.62 ftJune 23, 1972
Forecast peak: 4.10 ftSunday, October 18 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 12.00 ft, still 7.92 ft away.

What happens at each level

32.00 ft: River stage sensor operating limit
28.62 ft: Flood of record during Hurricane Agnes.
27.00 ft: Near record flooding begins.
23.00 ft: Richmond City Water Filtration Plant endangered.
22.00 ft: Major flooding begins. Downstream industries, shops and streets along the riverfront are flooded at and above this level.
18.20 ft: CSX Railroad tracks flooded.
17.00 ft: Water infiltrates several homes near the gage, downstream of the Huguenot Bridge.
16.00 ft: Water is getting into the parking lot at Huguenot Flatwater Park and Pony Pasture. Additionally, portions of the Willow Oaks County Club is flooded. Sections of Riverside Drive are closed due to flooding.
15.00 ft: Begin moderate flooding. Residences near gage threatened by flood waters.
14.00 ft: Portions of Riverside Drive begin to flood.
13.50 ft: Portions of Huguenot Flatwater park begin to flood.
13.00 ft: Approximately 20 acres of lowland flooded in vicinity of gage.
4.08 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	28.62 ft	June 23, 1972
2	24.95 ft	August 21, 1969
3	24.77 ft	November 7, 1985
4	23.42 ft	March 19, 1936
5	22.65 ft	April 27, 1937
6	21.91 ft	April 18, 1987
7	21.80 ft	August 18, 1940
8	21.80 ft	September 20, 1944
9	21.76 ft	October 7, 1972
10	21.23 ft	September 8, 1996

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:29 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min First quarter 55%

Map

Other gauges on the James River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
James River at Lick RunRiver gauge, James River	2.44 ft	Below flood stage	−0.29 ft	123 mi
James River at BuchananRiver gauge, James River	1,030 cfs	Normal	−280.0 cfs	117 mi
James River at Bedford Dam near MajorRiver gauge, James River	6.00 ft	No reference yet	−0.05 ft	100 mi
James River at Blue Ridge Pkwy near Big IslandRiver gauge, James River	1,420 cfs	Normal	−180.0 cfs	100 mi
James River at Holcomb RockRiver gauge, James River	4.70 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	94 mi
James River at Bent CreekRiver gauge, James River	3.55 ft	Below flood stage	+0.41 ft	70 mi
James River at ScottsvilleRiver gauge, James River	3.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	54 mi
James River at CartersvilleRiver gauge, James River	1.69 ft	Below flood stage	−0.54 ft	30 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
James River and Kanawha Canal near RichmondCanal gauge, James River and Kanawha Canal	150 cfs	Normal	±0	1.5 mi
Fine Creek at Fine Creek MillsRiver gauge, Fine Creek	5.1 cfs	Normal	−1.5 cfs	15 mi
South Anna River near AshlandRiver gauge, South Anna River	2.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	16 mi
Totopotomoy Creek near StudleyRiver gauge, Totopotomoy Creek	29.6 cfs	High	−4.2 cfs	17 mi
Pamunkey River near HanoverRiver gauge, Pamunkey River	222 cfs	Normal	−31.0 cfs	18 mi
Appomattox River at MattoaxRiver gauge, Appomattox River	7.11 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	20 mi
North Anna River at Hart Corner near DoswellRiver gauge, North Anna River	87.3 cfs	Normal	−34.7 cfs	21 mi
Little River near DoswellRiver gauge, Little River	21.4 cfs	Normal	−2.8 cfs	21 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the James River near Richmond?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 7.92 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 James River near Richmond today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 10:30 PM EDT, the water level was 4.08 ft. Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is James River near Richmond rising or falling?

Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of James River near Richmond normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at James River near Richmond?

The highest level on record is 28.62 ft on June 23, 1972.

Is James River near Richmond expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.80 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02037500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.56320, -77.54693 (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	4.08 ft	2026-10-19 02:30	Provisional
Flow	2,670 cfs	2026-10-19 02:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: James River near Richmond (usgs:02037500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/virginia/james-river-near-richmond

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