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Illinois River at Hardin

Highest listed crest 42.40 ftFlood stage 25.0 ft84 crests since 1973

The Illinois River at Hardin crested at major flood stage 20 times among the 84 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1973 to 2024. The highest, 42.40 ft on August 3, 1993, was major flooding, 17.40 feet above flood stage. 6 other gauges on the Illinois River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
42.40 ft
August 3, 1993
Flood stage
25.0 ft
Major flooding from 32.0 ft
Crests at major
20
10th of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
May 16, 2024
26.80 ft, minor flooding
Location
Calhoun County
Illinois

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Illinois River at Hardin
Action stage24.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)25.062May 16, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage31.02May 29, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage32.020Jun 7, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

84 crests from 1973 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Illinois River at Hardin, 1973 to 2024 2530354045ft Flood stage 25.0 ftMajor 32.0 ft Apr 29, 1973: 38.20 ft, major floodingApr 14, 1979: 36.50 ft, major floodingMay 21, 1981: 28.75 ft, minor floodingDec 8, 1982: 33.75 ft, major floodingApr 24, 1984: 30.00 ft, minor floodingMar 9, 1985: 34.00 ft, major floodingOct 9, 1986: 34.50 ft, major floodingJun 26, 1990: 30.66 ft, minor floodingMay 7, 1991: 28.38 ft, minor floodingApr 27, 1993: 34.60 ft, major floodingAug 3, 1993: 42.40 ft, major floodingMay 29, 1995: 36.70 ft, major floodingJun 3, 1996: 32.90 ft, major floodingMar 2, 1997: 30.60 ft, minor floodingApr 23, 1997: 27.60 ft, minor floodingMay 24, 1998: 27.80 ft, minor floodingJun 28, 2000: 26.42 ft, minor floodingFeb 28, 2001: 28.50 ft, minor floodingMar 19, 2001: 25.90 ft, minor floodingMay 19, 2001: 30.22 ft, minor floodingJun 9, 2001: 30.10 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 2002: 34.80 ft, major floodingMay 29, 2004: 26.00 ft, minor flooding; 238,700 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2004: 27.24 ft, minor floodingJan 7, 2005: 26.53 ft, minor flooding; 258,400 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 2005: 28.95 ft, minor flooding; 322,000 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2007: 27.66 ft, minor floodingMay 6, 2007: 25.36 ft, minor floodingMay 11, 2007: 25.28 ft, minor floodingFeb 23, 2008: 26.40 ft, minor floodingMar 6, 2008: 25.36 ft, minor floodingMar 21, 2008: 26.88 ft, minor floodingApr 30, 2008: 28.54 ft, minor floodingMay 7, 2008: 28.85 ft, minor floodingMay 28, 2008: 25.33 ft, minor floodingJun 28, 2008: 35.82 ft, major floodingSep 19, 2008: 31.68 ft, moderate floodingDec 31, 2008: 25.09 ft, minor floodingJan 7, 2009: 26.94 ft, minor flooding; 106,000 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2009: 30.91 ft, minor floodingMay 22, 2009: 32.49 ft, major floodingNov 4, 2009: 30.73 ft, minor floodingDec 29, 2009: 27.00 ft, minor floodingJan 27, 2010: 25.75 ft, minor floodingMar 27, 2010: 30.15 ft, minor floodingApr 29, 2010: 26.48 ft, minor floodingMay 21, 2010: 30.34 ft, minor floodingJun 28, 2010: 33.50 ft, major floodingFeb 26, 2011: 25.03 ft, minor floodingMar 2, 2011: 26.95 ft, minor floodingJun 20, 2011: 32.43 ft, major floodingJun 4, 2013: 36.82 ft, major floodingJun 30, 2015: 36.50 ft, major floodingDec 31, 2015: 36.87 ft, major floodingApr 10, 2017: 27.40 ft, minor floodingMay 6, 2017: 35.22 ft, major floodingMar 8, 2018: 26.42 ft, minor floodingJul 8, 2018: 25.62 ft, minor floodingSep 12, 2018: 25.84 ft, minor floodingOct 17, 2018: 29.87 ft, minor floodingJan 3, 2019: 25.17 ft, minor floodingFeb 17, 2019: 25.18 ft, minor flooding; 63,760 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2019: 25.67 ft, minor flooding; 70,300 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2019: 33.77 ft, major floodingJun 7, 2019: 40.29 ft, major floodingOct 13, 2019: 27.69 ft, minor floodingNov 6, 2019: 25.46 ft, minor floodingJan 13, 2020: 26.27 ft, minor floodingJan 21, 2020: 25.66 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 2020: 28.25 ft, minor floodingMay 29, 2020: 31.26 ft, moderate floodingJul 2, 2020: 25.22 ft, minor floodingMar 21, 2021: 27.13 ft, minor floodingApr 14, 2021: 25.74 ft, minor floodingMay 20, 2021: 25.01 ft, minor floodingJun 28, 2021: 25.09 ft, minor floodingJul 2, 2021: 25.91 ft, minor floodingJul 14, 2021: 25.82 ft, minor floodingJul 18, 2021: 25.88 ft, minor floodingApr 1, 2022: 25.08 ft, minor floodingApr 10, 2022: 25.11 ft, minor floodingMay 7, 2022: 27.15 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 2023: 25.83 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 2024: 26.80 ft, minor flooding Highest, 42.40 ft, Aug 3, 1993 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Illinois River at Hardin 1970s: 2 1980s: 5 1990s: 9 2000s: 27 27 2010s: 24 2020s: 17 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 84 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Illinois River at Hardin
1Aug 3, 199342.40+17.40Major—
2Jun 7, 201940.29+15.29Major—
3Apr 29, 197338.20+13.20Major—
4Dec 31, 201536.87+11.87Major—
5Jun 4, 201336.82+11.82Major—
6May 29, 199536.70+11.70Major—
7Apr 14, 197936.50+11.50Major—
8Jun 30, 201536.50+11.50Major—
9Jun 28, 200835.82+10.82Major—
10May 6, 201735.22+10.22Major—
11May 16, 200234.80+9.80Major—
12Apr 27, 199334.60+9.60Major—
13Oct 9, 198634.50+9.50Major—
14Mar 9, 198534.00+9.00Major—
15Apr 1, 201933.77+8.77Major—
16Dec 8, 198233.75+8.75Major—
17Jun 28, 201033.50+8.50Major—
18Jun 3, 199632.90+7.90Major—
19May 22, 200932.49+7.49Major—
20Jun 20, 201132.43+7.43Major—
21Sep 19, 200831.68+6.68Moderate—
22May 29, 202031.26+6.26Moderate—
23Mar 17, 200930.91+5.91Minor—
24Nov 4, 200930.73+5.73Minor—
25Jun 26, 199030.66+5.66Minor—
26Mar 2, 199730.60+5.60Minor—
27May 21, 201030.34+5.34Minor—
28May 19, 200130.22+5.22Minor—
29Mar 27, 201030.15+5.15Minor—
30Jun 9, 200130.10+5.10Minor—
31Apr 24, 198430.00+5.00Minor—
32Oct 17, 201829.87+4.87Minor—
33Jan 21, 200528.95+3.95Minor322,000
34May 7, 200828.85+3.85Minor—
35May 21, 198128.75+3.75Minor—
36Apr 30, 200828.54+3.54Minor—
37Feb 28, 200128.50+3.50Minor—
38May 7, 199128.38+3.38Minor—
39Mar 31, 202028.25+3.25Minor—
40May 24, 199827.80+2.80Minor—
41Oct 13, 201927.69+2.69Minor—
42Apr 6, 200727.66+2.66Minor—
43Apr 23, 199727.60+2.60Minor—
44Apr 10, 201727.40+2.40Minor—
45Jun 7, 200427.24+2.24Minor—
46May 7, 202227.15+2.15Minor—
47Mar 21, 202127.13+2.13Minor—
48Dec 29, 200927.00+2.00Minor—
49Mar 2, 201126.95+1.95Minor—
50Jan 7, 200926.94+1.94Minor106,000

The worst floods along the Illinois River

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

August 3, 1993: 42.40 ft here, major flooding

June 7, 2019: 40.29 ft here, major flooding

April 29, 1973: 38.20 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Illinois River

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

Flood gauges on the Illinois River
BeardstownIL14.029.81 ft, Apr 27, 201310
Hardin this gaugeIL25.042.40 ft, Aug 3, 199320
LaGrange Lock and DamIL23.034.66 ft, Jul 2, 201517
Marseilles Lock (tailwater)IL467.0476.72 ft, Apr 19, 20130
MeredosiaIL17.028.86 ft, Jul 2, 201523
MorrisIL16.024.91 ft, Apr 19, 201312
OttawaIL463.0473.72 ft, Apr 19, 20134
PeoriaIL18.029.35 ft, Apr 23, 20135
Peoria Lock and DamIL447.0456.57 ft, Apr 23, 20135
Starved Rock Lock (tailwater)IL450.0467.81 ft, Apr 19, 20133
Valley CityIL14.027.00 ft, May 26, 194317
HavanaIL14.027.78 ft, Apr 25, 201325
HenryIL23.032.94 ft, Apr 22, 20137
La SalleIL20.034.44 ft, Apr 20, 20139

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HARI2, 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.