Du Page River near Plainfield water level

Name: Du Page River near Plainfield 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, Du Page River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

7.30ft Down 0.31 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 12:45 AM CDT (52 min ago)

Flow: 364 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Du Page River near Plainfield is at 7.30 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 7.01 ft, based on 14 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.29 ft above typical. It is 4.70 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 6.69 ft, a difference of +0.61 ft.

It has dropped 0.31 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 6.99 ft and 10.53 ft.

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

Compared with 14 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 7.01 ft0.29 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 6.68 ft – 9.15 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (14 years of records)
Same day last year: 6.69 ft+0.61 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 6.99 ft – 10.53 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 6.64 ft – 11.85 ft
Highest on record: 16.57 ftApril 19, 2013

Floating and fishing near Du Page River near Plainfield

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

Flood stage here is 12.00 ft, 4.70 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft: Numerous residences threatened near the river and Plainfield-Naperville Road south of Naperville.
16.00 ft: Renwick Road is threatened at the river in Plainfield. Lockport Street is threatened at the river in downtown Plainfield. Naperville Road is threatened near downtown Plainfield. West 127th Street is threatened near the river north of Plainfield.
15.50 ft: Numerous structures in downtown Plainfield near the river are threatened. IL-59/US-30 is threated at the underpass near the river in downtown Plainfield.
15.00 ft: Numerous structures threatened west of Louis Joliet Mall. Numerous residences threatened near Renwick Road and River Road south of Plainfield. Numerous residences are threatened west of Naperville Road near downtown Plainfield.
13.50 ft: West 135th Street is threatened at the river north of Plainfield.
13.00 ft: Naperville Road is threatened at Marina Drive north of Plainfield.
11.00 ft: Lower portions of Electric Park in Plainfield are inundated.
10.50 ft: Water covers boat launch west of Naperville-Plainfield Rd at 135th Street. Some backyard flooding occurs along SW corner of Weller Drive.
7.30 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: 6 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.57 ft	April 19, 2013
2	15.30 ft	October 11, 1954
3	13.91 ft	October 15, 2017
4	13.70 ft	May 18, 2020
5	13.18 ft	May 2, 2019
6	13.14 ft	February 21, 2018
7	12.55 ft	May 1, 2017
8	12.53 ft	June 17, 2015
9	12.00 ft	April 25, 1950
10	11.81 ft	July 24, 2011

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.02 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 56° 38° – Wind 11 mph

18 Sun 59° 39° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 65° 38° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 67° 48° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 68° 49° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 70° 53° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 71° 53° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 06:08 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min First quarter 47%

Map

Other gauges on the Du Page River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Du Page River at ShorewoodRiver gauge, Du Page River	10.97 ft	Very high	−0.37 ft	12 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Spring Brook at 87th Street near NapervilleRiver gauge, Spring Brook	3.04 ft	Normal	±0	2.5 mi
West Branch Du Page River near NapervilleRiver gauge, West Branch Du Page River	4.74 ft	Normal	−0.30 ft	2.7 mi
East Branch Du Page River at BolingbrookRiver gauge, East Branch Du Page River	15.19 ft	Normal	−0.28 ft	5.3 mi
Des Plaines River near LemontRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	6.75 ft	Normal	−0.48 ft	7 mi
Waubonsee Creek near OswegoRiver gauge, Waubonsee Creek	8.11 ft	Normal	−0.12 ft	8 mi
East Branch Dupage River at Short St at LisleRiver gauge, East Branch Dupage River	5.81 ft	Normal	−0.26 ft	8 mi
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at LemontRiver gauge, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal	25.21 ft	Normal	+0.46 ft	9 mi
West Branch Du Page River near WarrenvilleRiver gauge, West Branch Du Page River	8.10 ft	Very high	−0.32 ft	9 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Du Page River near Plainfield higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.61 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6.69 ft.

What is flood stage for the Du Page River near Plainfield?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 4.70 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Du Page River near Plainfield in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 7.01 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 6.68 ft and 9.15 ft, based on 14 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 Du Page River near Plainfield today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 12:45 AM CDT, the water level was 7.30 ft. Down 0.31 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Du Page River near Plainfield rising or falling?

Down 0.31 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.26 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Du Page River near Plainfield normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 14 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:05540290 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.69044, -88.16644 (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	7.30 ft	2026-10-18 05:45	Provisional
Flow	364 cfs	2026-10-18 05:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Du Page River near Plainfield (usgs:05540290). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/du-page-river-near-plainfield

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