Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau water level

Name: Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau 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, Mississippi River, Missouri, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

17.29ft Down 0.84 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 08:00 AM CDT (37 min ago)

Water temperature: 67 °F

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 7.60 ft by Saturday, November 14 at 12:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 11:19 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau reads 17.29 ft, a normal level.

It is 14.71 ft below the flood stage of 32.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.84 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 7.60 ft by Saturday, November 14 at 12:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 17.28 ft and 19.46 ft.

The sensor also reports a water temperature of 67 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 48.86 ftJanuary 2, 2016
Forecast peak: 17.00 ftMonday, October 19 at 07:00 AM

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 32.00 ft, still 14.71 ft away.

What happens at each level

48.86 ft: This flood will exceed the highest stage on record.
43.00 ft: The flood gate on North Main Street closes.
42.00 ft: Several homes and structures in southern Cape Girardeau County may be inundated or cut off due to backwater flooding from the Diversion Channel. Evacuations may be required. Thousands of acres are flooded. Numerous roads are closed both along the Mississippi River and due to backwater flooding.
38.00 ft: The flood gate at Broadway closes.
36.00 ft: The flood gate on Themis Street closes.
32.00 ft: Minor flooding occurs. The Mississippi River backs into several creeks producing flooding.
29.00 ft: The area north of the Little River Diversion Channel begins to flood.
17.29 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	48.86 ft	January 2, 2016
2	48.49 ft	August 8, 1993
3	47.00 ft	May 24, 1995
4	46.90 ft	August 3, 1993
5	46.36 ft	June 11, 2019
6	46.28 ft	May 3, 2011
7	45.99 ft	May 7, 2017
8	45.70 ft	May 18, 2002
9	45.50 ft	May 1, 1973
10	45.35 ft	April 29, 2011

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:10 AM Sunset 06:17 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min First quarter 59%

Map

Other gauges on the Mississippi River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mississippi River at GraftonRiver gauge, Mississippi River	15.13 ft	Below flood stage	−1.52 ft	125 mi
Mississippi River at St. LouisRiver gauge, Mississippi River	9.87 ft	Below flood stage	+1.11 ft	99 mi
Mississippi River at ChesterRiver gauge, Mississippi River	12.19 ft	Below flood stage	−0.32 ft	45 mi
Mississippi River at ThebesRiver gauge, Mississippi River	16.37 ft	Below flood stage	−0.89 ft	6 mi
Mississippi River at New MadridRiver gauge, Mississippi River	8.57 ft	Below flood stage	−1.03 ft	50 mi
Mississippi River at MemphisRiver gauge, Mississippi River	391,000 cfs	High	−13,000.0 cfs	154 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ohio River at OlmstedRiver gauge, Ohio River	20.00 ft	Below flood stage	−0.71 ft	27 mi
Castor River at ZalmaRiver gauge, Castor River	81.1 cfs	Normal	+1.0 cfs	32 mi
Cache River at FormanRiver gauge, Cache River	8.25 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	33 mi
Big Muddy River at Rte 127 at MurphysboroRiver gauge, Big Muddy River	3.27 ft	Very low	+0.03 ft	33 mi
Little River Ditch No. 1 near MorehouseRiver gauge, Little River Ditch No. 1	71.9 cfs	Normal	+1.4 cfs	34 mi
South Fork Saline Creek near PerryvilleRiver gauge, South Fork Saline Creek	6.6 cfs	Very low	±0	38 mi
Mayfield Creek at LovelacevilleRiver gauge, Mayfield Creek	32.3 cfs	Very high	−1.8 cfs	45 mi
Crab Orchard Creek near MarionRiver gauge, Crab Orchard Creek	0.61 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	45 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau?

The official flood stage is 32.00 ft. The level is currently 14.71 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 Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 08:00 AM CDT, the water level was 17.29 ft. Down 0.84 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau rising or falling?

Down 0.84 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau?

The highest level on record is 48.86 ft on January 2, 2016.

Is Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 7.60 ft by Saturday, November 14 at 12:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:07020850 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.30189, -89.51800 (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	17.29 ft	2026-10-19 13:00	Provisional
Water temperature	67 °F	2026-10-19 12:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau (usgs:07020850). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/missouri/mississippi-river-at-cape-girardeau

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