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San Francisquito Creek at Stanford University

Highest listed crest 13.60 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft16 crests since 1937

The San Francisquito Creek at Stanford University crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 16 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1937 to 1998. The highest, 13.60 ft on December 22, 1955, was major flooding, 1.60 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
13.60 ft
December 22, 1955; 5,560 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 13.5 ft
Crests at major
1
33rd of 106 gauges in California
Most recent flood crest
February 3, 1998
13.40 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Santa Clara County
Near Palo Alto (3.1 mi), East Palo Alto (4.4 mi), Menlo Park (4.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, San Francisquito Creek at Stanford University
Action stage11.01Apr 2, 1958The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.01Jan 4, 1982Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.81Feb 3, 1998Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.51Dec 22, 1955Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

16 crests from 1937 to 1998. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the San Francisquito Creek at Stanford University, 1937 to 1998 468101214ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 13.5 ft Feb 4, 1937: 9.15 ft, below flood stage; 2,620 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1940: 9.40 ft, below flood stage; 3,100 cubic feet per secondNov 18, 1950: 10.40 ft, below flood stage; 3,650 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1955: 13.60 ft, major flooding; 5,560 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1958: 11.04 ft, action stage; 4,460 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1963: 9.28 ft, below flood stage; 3,270 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 1980: 9.00 ft, below flood stage; 3,300 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1982: 12.42 ft, minor flooding; 5,220 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1982: 9.82 ft, below flood stage; 3,760 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1983: 9.21 ft, below flood stage; 3,420 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1986: 9.33 ft, below flood stage; 3,480 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1995: 9.04 ft, below flood stage; 3,320 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1995: 5.10 ft, below flood stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1995: 6.68 ft, below flood stage; 2,010 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1995: 6.52 ft, below flood stage; 1,930 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1998: 13.40 ft, moderate flooding; 8,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 13.60 ft, Dec 22, 1955 194019501960197019801990

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, San Francisquito Creek at Stanford University 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 1 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s
  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

Highest listed crests, San Francisquito Creek at Stanford University
1Dec 22, 195513.60+1.60Major5,560
2Feb 3, 199813.40+1.40Moderate8,000
3Jan 4, 198212.42+0.42Minor5,220
4Apr 2, 195811.04−0.96Action4,460
5Nov 18, 195010.40−1.60Below flood stage3,650
6Feb 16, 19829.82−2.18Below flood stage3,760
7Feb 27, 19409.40−2.60Below flood stage3,100
8Feb 17, 19869.33−2.67Below flood stage3,480
9Jan 31, 19639.28−2.72Below flood stage3,270
10Jan 26, 19839.21−2.79Below flood stage3,420
11Feb 4, 19379.15−2.85Below flood stage2,620
12Jan 9, 19959.04−2.96Below flood stage3,320
13Jan 13, 19809.00−3.00Below flood stage3,300
14Mar 9, 19956.68−5.32Below flood stage2,010
15Mar 22, 19956.52−5.48Below flood stage1,930
16Jan 27, 19955.10−6.90Below flood stage1,220

Other gauges in Santa Clara County

Flood gauges in Santa Clara County
Hwy 237 at Milpitas15.517.77 ft, Feb 1, 20170
Edenvale8.012.80 ft, Feb 10, 19220
Madrone7.012.06 ft, Feb 21, 20171
Almaden Expressway10.511.73 ft, Jan 9, 19950
W Luchessa Ave.12.021.82 ft, Feb 17, 19860

Santa Clara County: every hazard · River floods across the country · California

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SFCC1, 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.