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Cedar River at Vinton

Highest listed crest 24.70 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft17 crests since 1960

The Cedar River at Vinton crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 17 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1960 to 2020. The highest, 24.70 ft on June 12, 2008, was major flooding, 9.70 feet above flood stage. 11 other gauges on the Cedar River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 8 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
24.70 ft
June 12, 2008
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 19.0 ft
Crests at major
4
52nd of 203 gauges in Iowa
Most recent flood crest
June 25, 2020
15.94 ft, minor flooding
Location
Benton County
Iowa

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Cedar River at Vinton
Action stage14.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.06Jun 25, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.04Jun 1, 2013Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage19.04Sep 26, 2016Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

17 crests from 1960 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cedar River at Vinton, 1960 to 2020 510152025ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 19.0 ft Mar 30, 1960: 16.90 ft, minor floodingMar 30, 1961: 19.30 ft, major floodingApr 9, 1965: 18.05 ft, moderate floodingJul 3, 1969: 17.10 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 1993: 19.20 ft, major floodingJul 24, 1999: 18.00 ft, moderate floodingMay 26, 2004: 18.40 ft, moderate floodingJun 12, 2008: 24.70 ft, major floodingMar 16, 2010: 15.95 ft, minor flooding; 47,600 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 2011: 13.44 ft, below flood stage; 29,700 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2012: 8.28 ft, below flood stage; 10,900 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2013: 18.59 ft, moderate flooding; 63,100 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2014: 17.81 ft, minor flooding; 56,700 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2015: 12.37 ft, below flood stage; 23,100 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 2016: 21.80 ft, major flooding; 88,000 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2019: 17.72 ft, minor flooding; 60,686 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2020: 15.94 ft, minor flooding; 44,600 cubic feet per second Highest, 24.70 ft, Jun 12, 2008 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cedar River at Vinton 1960s: 4 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 2 2000s: 2 2010s: 5 5 2020s: 1 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Cedar River at Vinton
1Jun 12, 200824.70+9.70Major—
2Sep 26, 201621.80+6.80Major88,000
3Mar 30, 196119.30+4.30Major—
4Apr 4, 199319.20+4.20Major—
5Jun 1, 201318.59+3.59Moderate63,100
6May 26, 200418.40+3.40Moderate—
7Apr 9, 196518.05+3.05Moderate—
8Jul 24, 199918.00+3.00Moderate—
9Jun 23, 201417.81+2.81Minor56,700
10Mar 17, 201917.72+2.72Minor60,686
11Jul 3, 196917.10+2.10Minor—
12Mar 30, 196016.90+1.90Minor—
13Mar 16, 201015.95+0.95Minor47,600
14Jun 25, 202015.94+0.94Minor44,600
15Mar 27, 201113.44−1.56Below flood stage29,700
16Jun 27, 201512.37−2.63Below flood stage23,100
17May 9, 20128.28−6.72Below flood stage10,900

The worst floods along the Cedar River

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

June 12, 2008: 24.70 ft here, major flooding

  • Cedar FallsIA · Jun 10, 2008 · 102.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • Cedar RapidsIA · Jun 13, 2008 · 31.12 ft · Major · its highest
  • WaterlooIA · Jun 11, 2008 · 27.01 ft · Major · its highest
  • Charles CityIA · Jun 9, 2008 · 25.33 ft · Major · its highest
  • ConesvilleIA · Jun 15, 2008 · 23.40 ft · Major · its highest
  • PaloIA · Jun 13, 2008 · 23.22 ft · Major · its highest
  • AustinMN · Jun 12, 2008 · 22.40 ft · Major
  • JanesvilleIA · Jun 10, 2008 · 19.45 ft · Major · its highest
  • WaverlyIA · Jun 10, 2008 · 19.33 ft · Major · its highest
  • LansingMN · Jun 12, 2008 · 20.55 ft · Moderate

September 26, 2016: 21.80 ft here, major flooding

  • Cedar FallsIA · Sep 24, 2016 · 98.90 ft · Major
  • WaterlooIA · Sep 24, 2016 · 22.95 ft · Major
  • Cedar RapidsIA · Sep 27, 2016 · 21.97 ft · Major
  • Charles CityIA · Sep 24, 2016 · 21.00 ft · Major
  • PaloIA · Sep 27, 2016 · 18.07 ft · Major
  • ConesvilleIA · Sep 29, 2016 · 18.06 ft · Major
  • Cedar BluffIA · Sep 28, 2016 · 24.70 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • LansingMN · Sep 22, 2016 · 20.33 ft · Moderate
  • AustinMN · Sep 23, 2016 · 19.80 ft · Moderate
  • JanesvilleIA · Sep 24, 2016 · 16.27 ft · Moderate

March 30, 1961: 19.30 ft here, major flooding

  • WaterlooIA · Mar 29, 1961 · 21.86 ft · Major
  • Charles CityIA · Mar 27, 1961 · 21.60 ft · Major
  • Cedar RapidsIA · Mar 31, 1961 · 19.66 ft · Major
  • ConesvilleIA · Apr 2, 1961 · 16.62 ft · Major
  • JanesvilleIA · Mar 28, 1961 · 16.33 ft · Moderate
  • AustinMN · Mar 26, 1961 · 17.03 ft · Minor
  • AustinMN · Mar 26, 1961 · 17.00 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Cedar River

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

Flood gauges on the Cedar River
AustinMN15.025.00 ft, Sep 16, 20047
Cedar BluffIA16.024.70 ft, Sep 28, 20160
Cedar FallsIA89.0102.10 ft, Jun 10, 20087
Cedar RapidsIA12.031.12 ft, Jun 13, 200827
Charles CityIA12.025.33 ft, Jun 9, 200816
JanesvilleIA13.019.45 ft, Jun 10, 20081
PaloIA12.523.22 ft, Jun 13, 20082
Vinton this gaugeIA15.024.70 ft, Jun 12, 20084
WaterlooIA13.027.01 ft, Jun 11, 20084
WaverlyIA12.019.33 ft, Jun 10, 20081
AustinMN10.023.26 ft, Sep 16, 20040
ConesvilleIA13.023.40 ft, Jun 15, 200812
LansingMN18.022.98 ft, Sep 15, 20041
Otranto (IFC)IA1,141.01,148.60 ft, Sep 23, 20160
St. Ansgar (IFC)IA1,104.01,109.48 ft, Jun 23, 20240

Benton County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Iowa

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge VINI4, 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.