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Des Plaines River near Des Plaines

Highest listed crest 20.92 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft80 crests since 1941

The Des Plaines River near Des Plaines crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 80 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1941 to 2021. The highest, 20.92 ft on April 19, 2013, was major flooding, 5.92 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
20.92 ft
April 19, 2013; 4,490 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 19.0 ft
Crests at major
5
56th of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
March 12, 2021
17.78 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cook County
Near Prospect Heights (2.4 mi), Mount Prospect (3.0 mi), Glenview (3.1 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 near Des Plaines
Action stage13.520Jun 21, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.042Mar 12, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.06Aug 2, 2007Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage19.05May 18, 2020Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

80 crests from 1941 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Des Plaines River near Des Plaines, 1941 to 2021 121416182022ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 19.0 ft Mar 16, 1941: 12.92 ft, below flood stage; 1,430 cubic feet per secondOct 24, 1941: 13.75 ft, action stage; 2,060 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1943: 15.15 ft, minor flooding; 2,470 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1944: 14.84 ft, action stage; 2,470 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1945: 13.38 ft, below flood stage; 1,830 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1946: 14.87 ft, action stage; 2,510 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1947: 13.48 ft, below flood stage; 1,920 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1948: 16.82 ft, minor flooding; 3,490 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1949: 13.07 ft, below flood stage; 1,700 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1950: 17.78 ft, minor flooding; 4,040 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1951: 14.69 ft, action stage; 2,410 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1954: 13.72 ft, action stage; 1,770 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1954: 13.25 ft, below flood stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1957: 15.18 ft, minor flooding; 2,610 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1960: 18.56 ft, moderate flooding; 4,670 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1962: 16.30 ft, minor flooding; 2,820 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1965: 14.17 ft, action stage; 2,160 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1966: 13.69 ft, action stage; 1,920 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1967: 16.30 ft, minor flooding; 2,820 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1968: 13.53 ft, action stage; 1,730 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1969: 15.28 ft, minor flooding; 2,430 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1970: 17.65 ft, minor flooding; 3,620 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1971: 15.49 ft, minor flooding; 2,440 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1972: 16.14 ft, minor flooding; 2,710 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1973: 16.45 ft, minor flooding; 2,900 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1974: 15.49 ft, minor flooding; 2,480 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1975: 14.42 ft, action stage; 1,810 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1976: 15.77 ft, minor flooding; 2,600 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1978: 13.98 ft, action stage; 1,960 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1979: 17.34 ft, minor flooding; 3,430 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1980: 12.71 ft, below flood stage; 1,440 cubic feet per secondAug 15, 1981: 13.27 ft, below flood stage; 1,700 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 1982: 17.95 ft, minor flooding; 3,920 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1983: 17.76 ft, minor flooding; 3,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1984: 13.61 ft, action stage; 1,830 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1985: 17.53 ft, minor flooding; 3,490 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 1985: 16.47 ft, minor flooding; 2,890 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1986: 20.88 ft, major flooding; 4,900 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 1987: 18.77 ft, moderate floodingJan 21, 1988: 14.94 ft, action stage; 1,810 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1989: 14.35 ft, action stage; 1,930 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 1990: 15.93 ft, minor flooding; 2,430 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1991: 15.01 ft, minor flooding; 2,170 cubic feet per secondNov 15, 1991: 15.37 ft, minor floodingApr 1, 1993: 16.49 ft, minor flooding; 2,660 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1994: 16.60 ft, minor flooding; 2,700 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1996: 18.67 ft, moderate flooding; 3,850 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1997: 18.05 ft, moderate flooding; 3,540 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1998: 14.10 ft, action stage; 1,860 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1999: 17.80 ft, minor flooding; 3,420 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2000: 15.83 ft, minor flooding; 2,460 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2001: 14.81 ft, action stage; 2,090 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 2001: 17.38 ft, minor flooding; 2,970 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 2002: 15.82 ft, minor flooding; 2,200 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2003: 13.85 ft, action stage; 1,630 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2004: 18.51 ft, moderate flooding; 3,760 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2005: 14.31 ft, action stage; 1,860 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2006: 14.80 ft, action stage; 2,030 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 2007: 18.62 ft, moderate flooding; 3,800 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2008: 20.00 ft, major flooding; 3,010 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2008: 17.43 ft, minor flooding; 3,190 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2010: 17.19 ft, minor flooding; 3,200 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 2011: 17.55 ft, minor flooding; 3,100 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2013: 20.92 ft, major flooding; 4,490 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 2015: 13.98 ft, action stage; 1,870 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2017: 15.76 ft, minor flooding; 2,700 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2017: 15.83 ft, minor flooding; 2,730 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 2017: 19.92 ft, major flooding; 4,830 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2017: 15.87 ft, minor flooding; 2,750 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2018: 15.98 ft, minor flooding; 2,800 cubic feet per secondSep 4, 2018: 16.17 ft, minor flooding; 2,740 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 2019: 15.15 ft, minor flooding; 2,210 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2019: 15.30 ft, minor flooding; 2,490 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2019: 15.84 ft, minor flooding; 2,740 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2019: 14.96 ft, action stage; 2,220 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2019: 17.88 ft, minor flooding; 3,680 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2020: 15.15 ft, minor flooding; 2,210 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2020: 16.96 ft, minor flooding; 3,020 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2020: 19.77 ft, major flooding; 4,640 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2021: 17.78 ft, minor flooding; 1,180 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.92 ft, Apr 19, 2013 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Des Plaines River near Des Plaines 1940s: 2 1950s: 2 1960s: 4 1970s: 7 1980s: 6 1990s: 8 2000s: 7 2010s: 13 13 2020s: 4 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.
  3. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 19.00 ft on Jul 4, 1938.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 80 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Des Plaines River near Des Plaines
1Apr 19, 201320.92+5.92Major4,490
2Oct 1, 198620.88+5.88Major4,900
3Sep 14, 200820.00+5.00Major3,010
4Jul 14, 201719.92+4.92Major4,830
5May 18, 202019.77+4.77Major4,640
6Aug 14, 198718.77+3.77Moderate—
7May 21, 199618.67+3.67Moderate3,850
8Aug 2, 200718.62+3.62Moderate3,800
9Apr 2, 196018.56+3.56Moderate4,670
10May 27, 200418.51+3.51Moderate3,760
11Feb 22, 199718.05+3.05Moderate3,540
12Jul 23, 198217.95+2.95Minor3,920
13Sep 14, 201917.88+2.88Minor3,680
14Apr 24, 199917.80+2.80Minor3,420
15Apr 25, 195017.78+2.78Minor4,040
16Mar 12, 202117.78+2.78Minor1,180
17Apr 3, 198317.76+2.76Minor3,900
18Jun 3, 197017.65+2.65Minor3,620
19Jul 23, 201117.55+2.55Minor3,100
20Mar 5, 198517.53+2.53Minor3,490
21Dec 28, 200817.43+2.43Minor3,190
22Oct 14, 200117.38+2.38Minor2,970
23Mar 20, 197917.34+2.34Minor3,430
24May 14, 201017.19+2.19Minor3,200
25May 2, 202016.96+1.96Minor3,020
26Mar 22, 194816.82+1.82Minor3,490
27Feb 20, 199416.60+1.60Minor2,700
28Apr 1, 199316.49+1.49Minor2,660
29Nov 20, 198516.47+1.47Minor2,890
30Apr 22, 197316.45+1.45Minor2,900
31Mar 25, 196216.30+1.30Minor2,820
32Jun 11, 196716.30+1.30Minor2,820
33Sep 4, 201816.17+1.17Minor2,740
34Jun 20, 197216.14+1.14Minor2,710
35Feb 21, 201815.98+0.98Minor2,800
36Aug 21, 199015.93+0.93Minor2,430
37Oct 15, 201715.87+0.87Minor2,750
38May 1, 201915.84+0.84Minor2,740
39Jun 18, 200015.83+0.83Minor2,460
40May 2, 201715.83+0.83Minor2,730
41Aug 22, 200215.82+0.82Minor2,200
42Mar 6, 197615.77+0.77Minor2,600
43Apr 6, 201715.76+0.76Minor2,700
44Feb 27, 197115.49+0.49Minor2,440
45Jan 28, 197415.49+0.49Minor2,480
46Nov 15, 199115.37+0.37Minor—
47Mar 16, 201915.30+0.30Minor2,490
48Jun 9, 196915.28+0.28Minor2,430
49Jul 13, 195715.18+0.18Minor2,610
50Feb 25, 194315.15+0.15Minor2,470

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 19, 2013: 20.92 ft here, major flooding

  • LyonsIL · Apr 18, 2013 · 22.87 ft · Major · its highest
  • River ForestIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 18.98 ft · Major · its highest
  • LincolnshireIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 16.36 ft · Major
  • RiversideIL · Apr 18, 2013 · 11.28 ft · Major · its highest
  • GurneeIL · Apr 20, 2013 · 11.20 ft · Major
  • RussellIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 9.99 ft · Moderate
  • LemontIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 12.58 ft · Minor

October 1, 1986: 20.88 ft here, major flooding

  • GurneeIL · Sep 27, 1986 · 11.95 ft · Major
  • RussellIL · Sep 27, 1986 · 10.75 ft · Major
  • RiversideIL · Oct 4, 1986 · 8.80 ft · Moderate

September 14, 2008: 20.00 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 Plaines this gaugeIL15.020.92 ft, Apr 19, 20135
Des Plaines (Algonquin Road)IL13.021.00 ft, Sep 14, 20082
River ForestIL16.018.98 ft, Apr 19, 20131
RiversideIL7.511.28 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
Riverside7.511.28 ft, Apr 18, 20137
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 DSPI2, 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.