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Arkansas River at Van Buren

Highest listed crest 40.79 ftFlood stage 22.0 ft129 crests since 1927

The Arkansas River at Van Buren crested at major flood stage 18 times among the 129 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1927 to 2025. The highest, 40.79 ft on June 1, 2019, was major flooding, 18.79 feet above flood stage. 15 other gauges on the Arkansas River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 5 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
40.79 ft
June 1, 2019; 570,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
22.0 ft
Major flooding from 31.0 ft
Crests at major
18
7th of 54 gauges in Arkansas
Most recent flood crest
July 9, 2025
22.63 ft, minor flooding
Location
Crawford County
Near Van Buren (1.4 mi), Fort Smith (5.7 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Arkansas River at Van Buren
Action stage22.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)22.077Jul 9, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage26.028May 6, 2022Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage31.018Jun 1, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

129 crests from 1927 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Arkansas River at Van Buren, 1927 to 2025 202530354045ft Flood stage 22.0 ftMajor 31.0 ft Apr 16, 1927: 36.70 ft, major flooding; 552,000 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1929: 29.00 ft, moderate floodingJun 19, 1935: 34.30 ft, major floodingFeb 19, 1938: 32.71 ft, major floodingNov 3, 1941: 37.30 ft, major flooding; 485,000 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1942: 31.00 ft, major floodingMay 12, 1943: 38.00 ft, major flooding; 850,000 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1945: 38.10 ft, major flooding; 650,000 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 1945: 29.42 ft, moderate floodingJun 26, 1948: 30.60 ft, moderate floodingMay 22, 1949: 29.03 ft, moderate floodingMay 13, 1950: 30.90 ft, moderate floodingAug 4, 1950: 24.50 ft, minor floodingJul 19, 1951: 26.94 ft, moderate floodingMay 28, 1957: 35.97 ft, major flooding; 510,000 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 1959: 32.55 ft, major floodingMay 21, 1960: 26.70 ft, moderate floodingMay 11, 1961: 28.17 ft, moderate floodingApr 9, 1965: 21.57 ft, below flood stageMar 21, 1968: 23.13 ft, minor floodingDec 10, 1971: 26.22 ft, moderate floodingMar 25, 1973: 27.85 ft, moderate floodingMar 29, 1975: 25.25 ft, minor floodingApr 21, 1976: 26.55 ft, moderate floodingJan 31, 1982: 22.77 ft, minor floodingJun 5, 1982: 25.50 ft, minor floodingJan 2, 1985: 24.60 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 1985: 28.24 ft, moderate flooding; 196,000 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 1985: 29.00 ft, moderate flooding; 202,000 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1986: 34.75 ft, major flooding; 357,000 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1990: 36.10 ft, major flooding; 401,000 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1991: 22.90 ft, minor floodingNov 22, 1992: 22.50 ft, minor floodingNov 27, 1992: 22.01 ft, minor floodingDec 4, 1992: 22.08 ft, minor floodingDec 10, 1992: 22.32 ft, minor floodingDec 16, 1992: 28.39 ft, moderate floodingJan 5, 1993: 24.56 ft, minor floodingJan 21, 1993: 22.15 ft, minor floodingFeb 26, 1993: 22.75 ft, minor floodingApr 5, 1993: 22.29 ft, minor floodingApr 15, 1993: 24.37 ft, minor floodingApr 19, 1993: 22.49 ft, minor floodingMay 7, 1993: 22.00 ft, minor floodingMay 11, 1993: 31.12 ft, major flooding; 265,000 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1993: 23.87 ft, minor floodingApr 17, 1994: 22.15 ft, minor floodingMay 9, 1995: 26.64 ft, moderate flooding; 186,000 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1995: 25.92 ft, minor floodingJun 14, 1995: 31.38 ft, major flooding; 294,000 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 1996: 25.00 ft, minor floodingNov 25, 1996: 26.10 ft, moderate flooding; 174,000 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 1996: 22.80 ft, minor floodingFeb 21, 1997: 24.60 ft, minor floodingFeb 28, 1997: 23.80 ft, minor floodingJan 5, 1998: 27.90 ft, moderate flooding; 209,000 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1998: 23.80 ft, minor floodingMar 21, 1998: 24.80 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 1998: 22.40 ft, minor floodingOct 7, 1998: 24.10 ft, minor floodingNov 15, 1998: 22.30 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 1999: 23.27 ft, minor floodingMar 19, 1999: 22.59 ft, minor floodingApr 28, 1999: 24.00 ft, minor floodingMay 18, 1999: 24.00 ft, minor floodingMay 24, 1999: 23.80 ft, minor floodingJun 3, 1999: 23.20 ft, minor floodingJun 26, 1999: 22.50 ft, minor floodingJul 1, 1999: 24.60 ft, minor floodingJun 21, 2000: 26.00 ft, moderate flooding; 183,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2001: 23.60 ft, minor floodingMay 31, 2001: 23.10 ft, minor floodingMar 20, 2002: 22.98 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 2002: 24.78 ft, minor floodingApr 24, 2004: 22.76 ft, minor floodingJul 3, 2004: 26.16 ft, moderate floodingJan 6, 2005: 22.22 ft, minor floodingJan 13, 2005: 22.60 ft, minor floodingMay 12, 2007: 22.21 ft, minor floodingJun 24, 2007: 23.06 ft, minor floodingJun 28, 2007: 22.76 ft, minor floodingJul 14, 2007: 27.90 ft, moderate floodingJul 28, 2007: 22.25 ft, minor floodingMar 3, 2008: 22.92 ft, minor floodingMar 20, 2008: 27.97 ft, moderate floodingMay 15, 2008: 22.17 ft, minor floodingMay 6, 2009: 23.78 ft, minor floodingMay 14, 2009: 22.17 ft, minor floodingOct 10, 2009: 22.85 ft, minor floodingSep 9, 2010: 23.04 ft, minor floodingApr 26, 2011: 28.72 ft, moderate floodingMay 24, 2011: 22.16 ft, minor floodingMar 21, 2012: 24.48 ft, minor floodingMay 11, 2015: 27.41 ft, moderate floodingMay 20, 2015: 24.02 ft, minor floodingMay 26, 2015: 33.39 ft, major floodingMay 31, 2015: 33.53 ft, major floodingJun 20, 2015: 24.06 ft, minor flooding; 179,498 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2015: 22.47 ft, minor floodingDec 14, 2015: 24.00 ft, minor flooding; 177,889 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 2015: 34.63 ft, major floodingApr 30, 2016: 21.68 ft, below flood stage; 148,559 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2017: 22.58 ft, minor flooding; 162,861 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2017: 24.31 ft, minor flooding; 188,278 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2017: 26.32 ft, moderate flooding; 234,674 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2018: 23.55 ft, minor flooding; 180,388 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2019: 21.28 ft, below flood stage; 148,566 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2019: 22.12 ft, minor flooding; 157,077 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2019: 40.26 ft, major flooding; 509,810 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2019: 40.79 ft, major flooding; 570,000 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2019: 26.39 ft, moderate flooding; 236,249 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2019: 27.06 ft, moderate flooding; 250,549 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2019: 22.51 ft, minor flooding; 162,056 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2020: 22.72 ft, minor flooding; 165,497 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2020: 24.06 ft, minor flooding; 207,913 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2020: 22.44 ft, minor flooding; 180,742 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2020: 22.99 ft, minor flooding; 188,615 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2020: 24.09 ft, minor flooding; 208,600 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2021: 26.88 ft, moderate flooding; 247,277 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2022: 27.33 ft, moderate flooding; 255,279 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2022: 24.98 ft, minor flooding; 221,587 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2024: 21.55 ft, below flood stage; 166,109 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2024: 21.99 ft, below flood stage; 174,622 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2025: 21.09 ft, below flood stage; 159,287 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2025: 22.89 ft, minor flooding; 187,009 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2025: 23.92 ft, minor flooding; 204,708 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2025: 24.19 ft, minor flooding; 210,890 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2025: 24.99 ft, minor flooding; 221,711 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 2025: 22.63 ft, minor flooding; 183,360 cubic feet per second Highest, 40.79 ft, Jun 1, 2019 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Arkansas River at Van Buren 1920s: 2 1930s: 2 1940s: 7 1950s: 5 1960s: 3 1970s: 4 1980s: 6 1990s: 39 39 2000s: 20 2010s: 22 2020s: 13 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 129 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Arkansas River at Van Buren
1Jun 1, 201940.79+18.79Major570,000
2May 28, 201940.26+18.26Major509,810
3Apr 16, 194538.10+16.10Major650,000
4May 12, 194338.00+16.00Major850,000
5Nov 3, 194137.30+15.30Major485,000
6Apr 16, 192736.70+14.70Major552,000
7May 5, 199036.10+14.10Major401,000
8May 28, 195735.97+13.97Major510,000
9Oct 9, 198634.75+12.75Major357,000
10Dec 30, 201534.63+12.63Major—
11Jun 19, 193534.30+12.30Major—
12May 31, 201533.53+11.53Major—
13May 26, 201533.39+11.39Major—
14Feb 19, 193832.71+10.71Major—
15Oct 7, 195932.55+10.55Major—
16Jun 14, 199531.38+9.38Major294,000
17May 11, 199331.12+9.12Major265,000
18Apr 30, 194231.00+9.00Major—
19May 13, 195030.90+8.90Moderate—
20Jun 26, 194830.60+8.60Moderate—
21Oct 2, 194529.42+7.42Moderate—
22May 22, 194929.03+7.03Moderate—
23May 16, 192929.00+7.00Moderate—
24Nov 19, 198529.00+7.00Moderate202,000
25Apr 26, 201128.72+6.72Moderate—
26Dec 16, 199228.39+6.39Moderate—
27Mar 31, 198528.24+6.24Moderate196,000
28May 11, 196128.17+6.17Moderate—
29Mar 20, 200827.97+5.97Moderate—
30Jan 5, 199827.90+5.90Moderate209,000
31Jul 14, 200727.90+5.90Moderate—
32Mar 25, 197327.85+5.85Moderate—
33May 11, 201527.41+5.41Moderate—
34May 6, 202227.33+5.33Moderate255,279
35Jun 24, 201927.06+5.06Moderate250,549
36Jul 19, 195126.94+4.94Moderate—
37Apr 29, 202126.88+4.88Moderate247,277
38May 21, 196026.70+4.70Moderate—
39May 9, 199526.64+4.64Moderate186,000
40Apr 21, 197626.55+4.55Moderate—
41Jun 8, 201926.39+4.39Moderate236,249
42May 21, 201726.32+4.32Moderate234,674
43Dec 10, 197126.22+4.22Moderate—
44Jul 3, 200426.16+4.16Moderate—
45Nov 25, 199626.10+4.10Moderate174,000
46Jun 21, 200026.00+4.00Moderate183,000
47Jun 6, 199525.92+3.92Minor—
48Jun 5, 198225.50+3.50Minor—
49Mar 29, 197525.25+3.25Minor—
50Nov 7, 199625.00+3.00Minor—

The worst floods along the Arkansas River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Arkansas River that crested above flood stage within a week.

June 1, 2019: 40.79 ft here, major flooding

  • Ozark L/D TailwaterAR · May 30, 2019 · 374.99 ft · Major · its highest
  • Toad Suck Lock and DamAR · Jun 4, 2019 · 285.40 ft · Major · its highest
  • Pine BluffAR · Jun 6, 2019 · 50.86 ft · Major
  • MuskogeeOK · May 26, 2019 · 46.39 ft · Major
  • DardanelleAR · May 30, 2019 · 45.91 ft · Major · its highest
  • MorriltonAR · Jun 4, 2019 · 43.03 ft · Major · its highest
  • PendletonAR · Jun 6, 2019 · 37.63 ft · Major · its highest
  • Little RockAR · Jun 5, 2019 · 29.71 ft · Major
  • HaskellOK · May 29, 2019 · 24.24 ft · Major
  • TulsaOK · May 29, 2019 · 23.51 ft · Major

May 28, 2019: 40.26 ft here, major flooding

  • Ozark L/D TailwaterAR · May 30, 2019 · 374.99 ft · Major · its highest
  • Toad Suck Lock and DamAR · Jun 4, 2019 · 285.40 ft · Major · its highest
  • MuskogeeOK · May 26, 2019 · 46.39 ft · Major
  • DardanelleAR · May 30, 2019 · 45.91 ft · Major · its highest
  • MorriltonAR · Jun 4, 2019 · 43.03 ft · Major · its highest
  • HaskellOK · May 29, 2019 · 24.24 ft · Major
  • TulsaOK · May 29, 2019 · 23.51 ft · Major
  • Ponca CityOK · May 24, 2019 · 22.26 ft · Major · its highest
  • RalstonOK · May 23, 2019 · 22.14 ft · Major
  • HavenKS · May 22, 2019 · 12.81 ft · Major

April 16, 1945: 38.10 ft here, major flooding

  • MuskogeeOK · Apr 18, 1945 · 36.65 ft · Major
  • Little RockAR · Apr 21, 1945 · 30.45 ft · Major
  • RalstonOK · Apr 19, 1945 · 19.55 ft · Moderate
  • HaskellOK · Apr 18, 1945 · 20.37 ft · Minor
  • TulsaOK · Apr 18, 1945 · 18.40 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Arkansas River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Arkansas River
Arkansas CityKS11.020.91 ft, May 9, 20190
DardanelleAR32.045.91 ft, May 30, 20195
DerbyKS12.016.60 ft, Nov 2, 19981
Great BendKS12.017.70 ft, Jun 15, 19810
HutchinsonKS8.013.85 ft, Apr 2, 19730
Little RockAR23.034.60 ft, Jun 17, 183329
MorriltonAR30.043.03 ft, Jun 4, 201910
OxfordKS17.026.85 ft, Nov 2, 19982
Ozark L/D TailwaterAR357.0374.99 ft, May 30, 20197
PendletonAR31.037.63 ft, Jun 6, 20194
Pine BluffAR42.052.10 ft, May 28, 19436
RalstonOK16.023.00 ft, Jun 11, 192310
Toad Suck Lock and DamAR275.0285.40 ft, Jun 4, 20195
TulsaOK18.025.21 ft, Oct 5, 19864
Van Buren this gaugeAR22.040.79 ft, Jun 1, 201918
HaskellOK19.026.02 ft, Jan 1, 19802
HavenKS10.013.08 ft, May 8, 20079
Kinsley 2EKS12.017.60 ft, Jun 21, 19651
MulvaneKS16.520.90 ft, Nov 2, 19980
MuskogeeOK28.048.20 ft, May 21, 194311
Ponca CityOK17.022.26 ft, May 24, 20191

Other gauges in Crawford County

Flood gauges in Crawford County
Van Buren LCR401.0417.50 ft, Dec 28, 201510

Crawford County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Arkansas

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge VBUA4, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.