Buffalo Creek near Wheeling water level

Name: Buffalo Creek near Wheeling 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, Buffalo Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.73ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 01:15 AM CDT (56 min ago)

Flow: 5.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Buffalo Creek near Wheeling, where the gauge shows 1.73 ft.

That puts it 0.18 ft above the median of 1.55 ft for mid-October, based on 33 years of readings. It is 3.27 ft below the flood stage of 5.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.39 ft (+0.34 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.45 ft – 3.42 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.55 ft0.18 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.08 ft – 2.87 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.39 ft+0.34 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.45 ft – 3.42 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.24 ft – 4.17 ft
Highest on record: 8.46 ftJune 26, 2013

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 5.00 ft.

What happens at each level

12.50 ft: Arlington Heights Road may be threatened in Buffalo Grove.
11.00 ft: Buffalo Grove Road threatened at Lake Cook Road.
10.50 ft: Buffalo Grove Village Hall threatened. A few residential structures threatened along Raupp Boulevard in Buffalo Grove.
10.00 ft: Holmes Middle School threatened in Wheeling.
9.50 ft: Raupp Boulevard threatened in Buffalo Grove.
9.00 ft: Widespread inundation of roadways and structures begins between Elmhurst Road and Eugene Field School in Wheeling. Water begins to bypass the main channel to the southeast along McHenry Road and Wheeling Road causing widespread inundation of roadways and structures near Wheeling Town Center. Elmhurst Road (IL-83) threatened in Wheeling. Parking lots threatened at Buffalo Grove Village Hall. Large portions of Buffalo Grove Golf Club inundated.
8.50 ft: Multiple commercial structures threatened near Elmhurst Road and Dundee Road in Wheeling. Widespread inundation of roadways and structures begins near Wolf Road and Jeffery Avenue in Wheeling. Multiple structures threatened along Northgate Parkway in Wheeling. McHenry Road threatened in Wheeling.
8.00 ft: Residential structures threatened along Valley Stream Drive, Manda Lane, and side streets in Wheeling. Lake Cook Road threatened in Buffalo Grove. Weiland Road threatened at McHenry Road (IL-83) in Wheeling.
7.50 ft: A few structures threatened along Dundee Road in Wheeling. Valley Stream Drive, Manda Lane, and side streets threatened in Wheeling.
7.00 ft: A few structures threatened near Buffalo Grove Road and Lake Cook Road. A few structures threatened along St Marys Parkway near Lincoln Terrace in Buffalo Grove. Wolf Road and Jeffery Avenue threatened in Wheeling. Athletic fields threatened near Emmerich Park in Buffalo Grove. Agricultural land inundated in northwest Wheeling.
6.50 ft: Residential parking lots threatened along McHenry Road. Low-lying portions of Buffalo Grove Golf Club inundated. Athletic fields threatened at Heritage Park in Wheeling.
6.00 ft: Low-lying portions of Heritage Park inundated in Wheeling.
1.73 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	8.46 ft	June 26, 2013
2	7.94 ft	July 22, 1982
3	7.83 ft	July 12, 2017
4	7.83 ft	August 23, 2007
5	7.56 ft	July 23, 2011
6	7.51 ft	October 13, 2001
7	7.42 ft	May 17, 2020
8	7.34 ft	August 14, 1987
9	7.27 ft	August 25, 1972
10	7.25 ft	September 19, 2001

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.59 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 57° 37° – Wind 10 mph

18 Sun 61° 40° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 66° 38° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 68° 52° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 69° 53° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 71° 56° 0.02 in Wind 3 mph

23 Fri 72° 56° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:08 AM Sunset 06:07 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 47%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Des Plaines River at LincolnshireRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	7.61 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	3.9 mi
Mc Donald Creek near Mount ProspectRiver gauge, Mc Donald Creek	1.00 ft	Normal	−0.10 ft	4.5 mi
Wf of Nb Chicago River at DeerfieldRiver gauge, Wf of Nb Chicago River	7.27 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	5.3 mi
Des Plaines River near Des PlainesRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	9.33 ft	High	−0.15 ft	5.8 mi
Wf of Nb Chicago River at NorthbrookRiver gauge, Wf of Nb Chicago River	1.01 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	6 mi
Salt Creek at Rolling MeadowsRiver gauge, Salt Creek	2.46 ft	Low	−0.10 ft	7 mi
North Branch Chicago River at DeerfieldRiver gauge, North Branch Chicago River	4.59 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	7 mi
Weller Creek at Des PlainesRiver gauge, Weller Creek	0.76 ft	Normal	−0.10 ft	7 mi

Questions and answers

How does Buffalo Creek near Wheeling compare with last year?

It is 0.34 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.39 ft.

What is flood stage for Buffalo Creek near Wheeling?

The official flood stage is 5.00 ft. The level is currently 3.27 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Buffalo Creek near Wheeling in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.55 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.08 ft and 2.87 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 Buffalo Creek near Wheeling today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 01:15 AM CDT, the water level was 1.73 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Buffalo Creek near Wheeling rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Buffalo Creek near Wheeling 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:05528500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.15194, -87.95778 (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	1.73 ft	2026-10-18 06:15	Provisional
Flow	5.0 cfs	2026-10-18 06:15	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/5903?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Buffalo Creek near Wheeling water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Buffalo Creek near Wheeling (usgs:05528500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/buffalo-creek-near-wheeling

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