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Des Plaines River at Algonquin Road at Des Plaines water level

River gauge, Des Plaines River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

8.91ft Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
251 cfs
10 15 20 Highest onrecord 21.00 ft Minor floodstage 13.00 ft

History

81012ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 18Minor flood stage81012ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18Minor flood stage
8101315ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 11Oct 18Minor flood stage8101315ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18Minor flood stage
1015ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage1015ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
1015ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20261015ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Des Plaines River at Algonquin Road at Des Plaines, where the gauge shows 8.91 ft.

The median for mid-October is 7.84 ft, based on 8 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.07 ft above typical. It is 4.09 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 7.50 ft, a difference of +1.41 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.14 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 8.91 ft – 13.87 ft.

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

Compared with 8 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
7.84 ft1.07 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
7.24 ft – 11.37 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (8 years of records)
Same day last year
7.50 ft+1.41 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
8.91 ft – 13.87 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
7.22 ft – 17.89 ft
Highest on record
21.00 ftSeptember 14, 2008

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 13.00 ft.

What happens at each level

25.00 ft
Water reaches the top of the levee near Rand Road and Ballard Road.
24.00 ft
Widespread inundation of structures and roadways in the floodplain may reach Lee Street and Elk Boulevard near downtown Des Plaines.
21.50 ft
Inundation of structures and roadways reaches up to 1 block from the river in Des Plaines.
20.50 ft
Water reaches the top of the floodwall along Miner Street causing numerous structures and roadways to be threatened near Miner Street and Busse Highway. Structures threatened along Prairie Avenue near South River Road. Algonquin Road threatened east of the river.
19.50 ft
Numerous residences threatened along Big Bend Drive and Grove Avenue. A few structures threatened along South River Road.
19.00 ft
Without flood protection, South River Road is threatened near Thacker Street.
18.50 ft
Big Bend Drive threatened.
17.00 ft
Central Road is threatened and Golf Road is threatened near College Drive.
15.00 ft
Buildings threatened at Methodist Campground.
14.00 ft
Low-lying Methodist Campground property and forest preserve property threatened near Des Plaines.
13.50 ft
Camp Ground Road and Des Plaines River Trail threatened near Miner Street.
8.91 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
121.00 ftSeptember 14, 2008
220.24 ftMay 18, 2020
317.92 ftSeptember 15, 2019
417.08 ftMay 2, 2020
515.59 ftMarch 29, 2020
615.20 ftJuly 22, 2019
714.38 ftOctober 27, 2019

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.10 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 59° 40° – Wind 13 mph
19 Mon 65° 39° – Wind 6 mph
20 Tue 68° 52° – Wind 7 mph
21 Wed 70° 53° – Wind 5 mph
22 Thu 72° 56° – Wind 5 mph
23 Fri 74° 63° – Wind 7 mph
24 Sat 73° 61° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:08 AM Sunset 06:07 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on the Des Plaines River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Des Plaines River at RussellRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 4.65 ft High −0.08 ft 32 mi
Des Plaines River near GurneeRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 3.00 ft Normal −0.05 ft 22 mi
Des Plaines River at LincolnshireRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 7.57 ft Normal −0.06 ft 12 mi
Des Plaines River near Des PlainesRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 9.29 ft High −0.08 ft 3.9 mi
Des Plaines River at River ForestRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 4.87 ft Normal −0.39 ft 10 mi
Des Plaines River at RiversideRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 2.62 ft Normal −0.28 ft 15 mi
Des Plaines River at LyonsRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 11.11 ft Normal −0.57 ft 16 mi
Des Plaines River near LemontRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 6.45 ft Normal −0.47 ft 26 mi
Des Plaines River at Route 53 at JolietRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 538.97 ft Normal ±0 36 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Weller Creek at Des PlainesRiver gauge, Weller Creek 0.75 ft Normal −0.04 ft 2.4 mi
North Branch Chicago River at NilesRiver gauge, North Branch Chicago River 1.18 ft Low −0.22 ft 4.4 mi
Mc Donald Creek near Mount ProspectRiver gauge, Mc Donald Creek 0.96 ft Normal −0.08 ft 4.7 mi
Salt Creek at Elk Grove VillageRiver gauge, Salt Creek 12.26 ft Normal −0.04 ft 6 mi
Salt Creek at Higgins Road near Elk Grove VillageRiver gauge, Salt Creek 5.42 ft Low +0.01 ft 7 mi
Salt Creek at Wood DaleRiver gauge, Salt Creek 7.14 ft Normal −0.36 ft 7 mi
Salt Creek at Rolling MeadowsRiver gauge, Salt Creek 2.39 ft Low −0.09 ft 7 mi
Wf of Nb Chicago River at NorthbrookRiver gauge, Wf of Nb Chicago River 1.00 ft Normal −0.03 ft 8 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Des Plaines River at Algonquin Road at Des Plaines higher than last year?

Yes, it is 1.41 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 7.50 ft.

What is flood stage for the Des Plaines River at Algonquin Road at Des Plaines?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 4.09 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Des Plaines River at Algonquin Road at Des Plaines in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 7.84 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 7.24 ft and 11.37 ft, based on 8 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 Des Plaines River at Algonquin Road at Des Plaines today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 04:00 PM CDT, the water level was 8.91 ft. Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Des Plaines River at Algonquin Road at Des Plaines rising or falling?

Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 1.18 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Des Plaines River at Algonquin Road at Des Plaines normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 8 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:05530100 (Agency page)
Coordinates
42.03167, -87.87806 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 8.91 ft 2026-10-18 21:00 Provisional
Flow 251 cfs 2026-10-18 21:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Des Plaines River at Algonquin Road at Des Plaines (usgs:05530100). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/des-plaines-river-at-algonquin-road-at-des-plaines

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