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Des Plaines River at Riverside

Highest listed crest 11.28 ftFlood stage 7.5 ft76 crests since 1944

The Des Plaines River at Riverside crested at major flood stage 7 times among the 76 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1944 to 2020. The highest, 11.28 ft on April 18, 2013, was major flooding, 3.78 feet above flood stage. 7 other gauges on the Des Plaines River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
11.28 ft
April 18, 2013; 12,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.5 ft
Major flooding from 9.0 ft
Crests at major
7
39th of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
May 18, 2020
10.00 ft, major flooding
Location
Cook County
Near Lyons (0.7 mi), Brookfield (1.3 mi), Berwyn (2.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Des Plaines River at Riverside
Action stage7.017Apr 30, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.510Jun 23, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.017May 1, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage9.07May 18, 2020Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

76 crests from 1944 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Des Plaines River at Riverside, 1944 to 2020 4681012ft Flood stage 7.5 ftMajor 9.0 ft Mar 16, 1944: 7.40 ft, action stage; 4,480 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1945: 6.70 ft, below flood stage; 3,670 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1946: 6.44 ft, below flood stage; 3,370 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1947: 6.85 ft, below flood stage; 3,780 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1948: 8.28 ft, moderate flooding; 6,510 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1950: 8.15 ft, moderate flooding; 6,340 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1951: 5.95 ft, below flood stage; 3,100 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1952: 6.52 ft, below flood stage; 3,620 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1954: 6.78 ft, below flood stage; 3,980 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1954: 8.15 ft, moderate flooding; 6,340 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 1957: 8.00 ft, moderate flooding; 5,950 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1960: 8.89 ft, moderate floodingApr 3, 1960: 7.46 ft, action stage; 5,500 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 1961: 6.98 ft, below flood stage; 4,690 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1962: 6.81 ft, below flood stage; 4,230 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1965: 6.05 ft, below flood stage; 3,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1966: 8.30 ft, moderate floodingMay 12, 1966: 7.43 ft, action stage; 5,210 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1967: 7.05 ft, action stage; 4,600 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1968: 6.36 ft, below flood stage; 3,600 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1969: 9.82 ft, major floodingJul 17, 1969: 6.90 ft, below flood stage; 4,380 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1970: 7.23 ft, action stage; 4,890 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1971: 6.19 ft, below flood stage; 3,380 cubic feet per secondAug 27, 1972: 7.58 ft, minor flooding; 5,460 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1973: 6.80 ft, below flood stage; 4,330 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1974: 6.77 ft, below flood stage; 4,290 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1974: 7.64 ft, minor floodingApr 19, 1975: 7.09 ft, action stage; 4,630 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1976: 7.24 ft, action stage; 4,830 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1978: 6.14 ft, below flood stage; 3,380 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1979: 7.91 ft, minor flooding; 5,870 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1981: 5.96 ft, below flood stage; 3,160 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 1982: 6.52 ft, below flood stage; 3,480 cubic feet per secondDec 5, 1982: 8.01 ft, moderate flooding; 6,130 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1984: 6.02 ft, below flood stage; 3,250 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1985: 7.94 ft, minor flooding; 6,360 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 1985: 6.87 ft, below flood stage; 4,180 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1986: 8.80 ft, moderate floodingAug 15, 1987: 9.90 ft, major flooding; 9,770 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1988: 6.16 ft, below flood stage; 3,250 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1989: 6.62 ft, below flood stage; 3,270 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1990: 8.01 ft, moderate flooding; 5,950 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1990: 7.40 ft, action stage; 5,270 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1993: 7.02 ft, action stage; 4,690 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1994: 7.15 ft, action stage; 4,880 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1995: 7.04 ft, action stage; 4,720 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1996: 7.40 ft, action stage; 5,270 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1997: 8.45 ft, moderate flooding; 6,990 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1998: 6.86 ft, below flood stage; 4,450 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1999: 7.66 ft, minor flooding; 5,680 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2000: 7.00 ft, action stage; 4,660 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 2001: 6.58 ft, below flood stage; 4,040 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 2001: 7.89 ft, minor flooding; 6,050 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2003: 6.44 ft, below flood stage; 3,840 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2004: 7.08 ft, action stage; 4,780 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2005: 6.50 ft, below flood stage; 3,930 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 2007: 7.71 ft, minor flooding; 5,800 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2008: 9.87 ft, major flooding; 9,560 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2010: 9.24 ft, major flooding; 8,380 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2011: 8.47 ft, moderate flooding; 6,510 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2013: 11.28 ft, major flooding; 12,200 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2014: 8.15 ft, moderate floodingFeb 21, 2014: 9.15 ft, major flooding; 8,010 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2015: 8.10 ft, moderate flooding; 6,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 2016: 7.37 ft, action stageMay 1, 2017: 7.50 ft, minor flooding; 5,270 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 2017: 7.71 ft, minor flooding; 5,590 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 2017: 8.07 ft, moderate flooding; 6,150 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2017: 8.60 ft, moderate flooding; 7,030 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2018: 8.05 ft, moderate flooding; 6,120 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2018: 7.73 ft, minor flooding; 5,620 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 2019: 7.03 ft, action stage; 588 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2019: 8.37 ft, moderate flooding; 6,650 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2020: 7.33 ft, action stage; 4,830 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2020: 10.00 ft, major flooding; 9,920 cubic feet per second Highest, 11.28 ft, Apr 18, 2013 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Des Plaines River at Riverside 1940s: 1 1950s: 3 1960s: 3 1970s: 3 1980s: 4 1990s: 3 2000s: 3 2010s: 13 13 2020s: 1 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 76 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Des Plaines River at Riverside
1Apr 18, 201311.28+3.78Major12,200
2May 18, 202010.00+2.50Major9,920
3Aug 15, 19879.90+2.40Major9,770
4Sep 14, 20089.87+2.37Major9,560
5Jan 26, 19699.82+2.32Major—
6Jul 24, 20109.24+1.74Major8,380
7Feb 21, 20149.15+1.65Major8,010
8Jan 25, 19608.89+1.39Moderate—
9Oct 4, 19868.80+1.30Moderate—
10Oct 15, 20178.60+1.10Moderate7,030
11Jul 24, 20118.47+0.97Moderate6,510
12Feb 22, 19978.45+0.95Moderate6,990
13May 1, 20198.37+0.87Moderate6,650
14Feb 20, 19668.30+0.80Moderate—
15Mar 20, 19488.28+0.78Moderate6,510
16Apr 26, 19508.15+0.65Moderate6,340
17Oct 11, 19548.15+0.65Moderate6,340
18Jan 11, 20148.15+0.65Moderate—
19Jun 16, 20158.10+0.60Moderate6,200
20Jul 22, 20178.07+0.57Moderate6,150
21Feb 21, 20188.05+0.55Moderate6,120
22Dec 5, 19828.01+0.51Moderate6,130
23May 10, 19908.01+0.51Moderate5,950
24Jul 14, 19578.00+0.50Moderate5,950
25Mar 5, 19857.94+0.44Minor6,360
26Mar 5, 19797.91+0.41Minor5,870
27Oct 14, 20017.89+0.39Minor6,050
28Jun 23, 20187.73+0.23Minor5,620
29Aug 24, 20077.71+0.21Minor5,800
30Jul 15, 20177.71+0.21Minor5,590
31Apr 24, 19997.66+0.16Minor5,680
32Feb 9, 19747.64+0.14Minor—
33Aug 27, 19727.58+0.08Minor5,460
34May 1, 20177.500.00Minor5,270
35Apr 3, 19607.46−0.04Action5,500
36May 12, 19667.43−0.07Action5,210
37Mar 16, 19447.40−0.10Action4,480
38Nov 28, 19907.40−0.10Action5,270
39May 29, 19967.40−0.10Action5,270
40Feb 15, 20167.37−0.13Action—
41Apr 30, 20207.33−0.17Action4,830
42Mar 5, 19767.24−0.26Action4,830
43Jun 4, 19707.23−0.27Action4,890
44Feb 21, 19947.15−0.35Action4,880
45Apr 19, 19757.09−0.41Action4,630
46Jun 1, 20047.08−0.42Action4,780
47Jun 12, 19677.05−0.45Action4,600
48Apr 28, 19957.04−0.46Action4,720
49Feb 4, 20197.03−0.47Action588
50Apr 2, 19937.02−0.48Action4,690

The worst floods along the Des Plaines River

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

April 18, 2013: 11.28 ft here, major flooding

  • LyonsIL · Apr 18, 2013 · 22.87 ft · Major · its highest
  • Des PlainesIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 20.92 ft · Major · its highest
  • River ForestIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 18.98 ft · Major · its highest
  • LincolnshireIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 16.36 ft · Major
  • GurneeIL · Apr 20, 2013 · 11.20 ft · Major
  • RussellIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 9.99 ft · Moderate
  • LemontIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 12.58 ft · Minor

May 18, 2020: 10.00 ft here, major flooding

August 15, 1987: 9.90 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Des Plaines River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Des Plaines River
RussellIL7.012.11 ft, Jul 14, 20178
GurneeIL7.012.09 ft, Jul 16, 20174
LincolnshireIL12.516.55 ft, Jul 13, 20174
Des PlainesIL15.020.92 ft, Apr 19, 20135
Des Plaines (Algonquin Road)IL13.021.00 ft, Sep 14, 20082
River ForestIL16.018.98 ft, Apr 19, 20131
Riverside this gaugeIL7.511.28 ft, Apr 18, 20137
LyonsIL18.022.87 ft, Apr 18, 20132
LemontIL10.013.24 ft, May 18, 20200
JolietIL541.0542.00 ft, Jul 1, 19570
Brandon Road Lock (tailwater)IL507.0513.30 ft, Jul 13, 19570

Other gauges in Cook County

Flood gauges in Cook County
Bellwood9.013.57 ft, Jul 24, 20104
Wheeling5.08.46 ft, Jun 26, 20136
Flossmoor9.013.08 ft, Apr 17, 20060
Markham10.012.00 ft, Oct 11, 19542
Chicago (Columbus Dr)3.05.50 ft, Oct 10, 19542
Chicago (Western Ave)4.05.26 ft, May 17, 20200
Chicago Heights10.012.87 ft, Sep 15, 20080
Des Plaines (Algonquin Road)13.021.00 ft, Sep 14, 20082
Lyons18.022.87 ft, Apr 18, 20132
River Forest16.018.98 ft, Apr 19, 20131
Des Plaines15.020.92 ft, Apr 19, 20135
Lemont10.013.24 ft, May 18, 20200
Willow Springs10.010.57 ft, Apr 18, 20130
Lake Michigan at Calumet Harbor5.06.07 ft, Aug 11, 20200
Lake Michigan at Chicago (Chicago Lock)4.05.98 ft, Apr 29, 20200
Lansing7.010.18 ft, Oct 11, 19540
South Holland16.020.50 ft, Nov 28, 19905
Lemont6.011.10 ft, Jul 18, 19961
Mount Prospect5.08.08 ft, Aug 14, 19872
Oak Forest6.09.50 ft, Apr 5, 19472
Midlothian8.59.98 ft, Feb 2, 20160
Chicago (Grand Ave)3.05.70 ft, Oct 10, 19543
Chicago (Pulaski Rd)18.022.50 ft, Aug 14, 19871
Niles10.012.13 ft, Sep 14, 20082
Elgin5.57.69 ft, Sep 13, 20080
Elk Grove Village17.020.80 ft, May 18, 20200
Rolling Meadows8.514.03 ft, Aug 14, 19870
Western Springs7.510.65 ft, Apr 18, 20130
Worth31.036.50 ft, Oct 11, 19542
Glenwood8.511.14 ft, Jul 13, 19570
Thornton9.017.06 ft, Jun 14, 19816
Palos Park9.010.30 ft, Oct 10, 19540
Des Plaines9.015.09 ft, Jun 10, 19677
Northbrook7.010.10 ft, Aug 14, 19877

Cook County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Illinois

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge RVRI2, 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.