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Illinois River at Peoria Lock and Dam

Highest listed crest 456.57 ftFlood stage 447.0 ft38 crests since 1943

The Illinois River at Peoria Lock and Dam crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 38 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1943 to 2026. The highest, 456.57 ft on April 23, 2013, was major flooding, 9.57 feet above flood stage. 12 other gauges on the Illinois River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 9 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
456.57 ft
April 23, 2013
Flood stage
447.0 ft
Major flooding from 455.0 ft
Crests at major
5
56th of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
June 25, 2026
448.16 ft, minor flooding
Location
Tazewell County
Near Pekin (4.3 mi), East Peoria (5.3 mi), Peoria (8.4 mi)
Identifiers
NWS PRAI2
No USGS station

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 Peoria Lock and Dam
Action stage444.018Aug 20, 2026The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)447.06Jun 25, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage449.09May 22, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage455.05May 7, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

38 crests from 1943 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Illinois River at Peoria Lock and Dam, 1943 to 2026 440445450455460ft Flood stage 447.0 ftMajor 455.0 ft May 24, 1943: 455.90 ft, major floodingMar 23, 1979: 455.80 ft, major floodingDec 9, 1982: 454.60 ft, moderate floodingMar 8, 1985: 455.60 ft, major floodingMar 3, 1997: 454.20 ft, moderate floodingSep 19, 2008: 454.30 ft, moderate floodingApr 23, 2013: 456.57 ft, major floodingJun 30, 2015: 454.55 ft, moderate floodingJan 3, 2016: 454.13 ft, moderate floodingMay 5, 2017: 450.66 ft, moderate floodingFeb 28, 2018: 452.02 ft, moderate floodingJun 27, 2018: 445.16 ft, action stageFeb 27, 2019: 446.48 ft, action stageMar 18, 2019: 446.32 ft, action stageApr 4, 2019: 445.15 ft, action stageApr 19, 2019: 444.62 ft, action stageMay 7, 2019: 455.06 ft, major floodingJun 2, 2019: 454.16 ft, moderate floodingJun 24, 2019: 447.54 ft, minor floodingOct 3, 2019: 447.28 ft, minor floodingNov 4, 2019: 447.19 ft, minor floodingJan 19, 2020: 446.22 ft, action stageMay 22, 2020: 454.89 ft, moderate floodingJul 4, 2021: 447.15 ft, minor floodingNov 2, 2021: 446.59 ft, action stageFeb 26, 2022: 445.70 ft, action stageApr 9, 2022: 446.45 ft, action stage; 41,199 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2022: 444.45 ft, action stage; 34,484 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2023: 444.80 ft, action stage; 35,411 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2023: 444.48 ft, action stage; 34,562 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 2024: 448.99 ft, minor flooding; 52,610 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2024: 446.08 ft, action stage; 39,751 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2024: 446.55 ft, action stage; 41,599 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2026: 445.08 ft, action stageApr 23, 2026: 445.29 ft, action stageJun 25, 2026: 448.16 ft, minor floodingJul 7, 2026: 446.58 ft, action stageAug 20, 2026: 444.96 ft, action stage Highest, 456.57 ft, Apr 23, 2013 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Illinois River at Peoria Lock and Dam 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 2 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 10 10 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.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Illinois River at Peoria Lock and Dam
1Apr 23, 2013456.57+9.57Major—
2May 24, 1943455.90+8.90Major—
3Mar 23, 1979455.80+8.80Major—
4Mar 8, 1985455.60+8.60Major—
5May 7, 2019455.06+8.06Major—
6May 22, 2020454.89+7.89Moderate—
7Dec 9, 1982454.60+7.60Moderate—
8Jun 30, 2015454.55+7.55Moderate—
9Sep 19, 2008454.30+7.30Moderate—
10Mar 3, 1997454.20+7.20Moderate—
11Jun 2, 2019454.16+7.16Moderate—
12Jan 3, 2016454.13+7.13Moderate—
13Feb 28, 2018452.02+5.02Moderate—
14May 5, 2017450.66+3.66Moderate—
15Feb 2, 2024448.99+1.99Minor52,610
16Jun 25, 2026448.16+1.16Minor—
17Jun 24, 2019447.54+0.54Minor—
18Oct 3, 2019447.28+0.28Minor—
19Nov 4, 2019447.19+0.19Minor—
20Jul 4, 2021447.15+0.15Minor—
21Nov 2, 2021446.59−0.41Action—
22Jul 7, 2026446.58−0.42Action—
23May 5, 2024446.55−0.45Action41,599
24Feb 27, 2019446.48−0.52Action—
25Apr 9, 2022446.45−0.55Action41,199
26Mar 18, 2019446.32−0.68Action—
27Jan 19, 2020446.22−0.78Action—
28Apr 10, 2024446.08−0.92Action39,751
29Feb 26, 2022445.70−1.30Action—
30Apr 23, 2026445.29−1.71Action—
31Jun 27, 2018445.16−1.84Action—
32Apr 4, 2019445.15−1.85Action—
33Apr 10, 2026445.08−1.92Action—
34Aug 20, 2026444.96−2.04Action—
35Mar 10, 2023444.80−2.20Action35,411
36Apr 19, 2019444.62−2.38Action—
37Apr 7, 2023444.48−2.52Action34,562
38May 11, 2022444.45−2.55Action34,484

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.

April 23, 2013: 456.57 ft here, major flooding

  • OttawaIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 473.72 ft · Major · its highest
  • Starved Rock Lock (tailwater)IL · Apr 19, 2013 · 467.81 ft · Major · its highest
  • LaGrange Lock and DamIL · Apr 27, 2013 · 34.50 ft · Major
  • La SalleIL · Apr 20, 2013 · 34.44 ft · Major · its highest
  • HenryIL · Apr 22, 2013 · 32.94 ft · Major · its highest
  • BeardstownIL · Apr 27, 2013 · 29.81 ft · Major · its highest
  • PeoriaIL · Apr 23, 2013 · 29.35 ft · Major · its highest
  • MeredosiaIL · Apr 27, 2013 · 28.69 ft · Major
  • HavanaIL · Apr 25, 2013 · 27.78 ft · Major · its highest
  • Valley CityIL · Apr 27, 2013 · 26.63 ft · Major

May 24, 1943: 455.90 ft here, major flooding

  • HenryIL · May 23, 1943 · 32.20 ft · Major
  • La SalleIL · May 22, 1943 · 31.00 ft · Major
  • BeardstownIL · May 26, 1943 · 29.60 ft · Major
  • PeoriaIL · May 23, 1943 · 28.80 ft · Major
  • MeredosiaIL · May 26, 1943 · 28.70 ft · Major
  • HavanaIL · May 26, 1943 · 27.10 ft · Major
  • Valley CityIL · May 26, 1943 · 27.00 ft · Major · its highest
  • Starved Rock Lock (tailwater)IL · May 22, 1943 · 462.20 ft · Moderate
  • MorrisIL · May 21, 1943 · 21.60 ft · Moderate

March 23, 1979: 455.80 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
HardinIL25.042.40 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 Dam this gaugeIL447.0456.57 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

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PRAI2, 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.