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Rock River at Dixon

Highest listed crest 20.50 ftFlood stage 16.0 ft37 crests since 1959

The Rock River at Dixon crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 37 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1959 to 2024. The highest, 20.50 ft on April 20, 1973, was major flooding, 4.50 feet above flood stage. 7 other gauges on the Rock River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
20.50 ft
April 20, 1973
Flood stage
16.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
1
101st of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
January 20, 2020
16.32 ft, minor flooding
Location
Lee County
Near Dixon (0.4 mi), Sterling (11.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Rock River at Dixon
Action stage13.019Jul 17, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.07Jan 20, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.08Mar 6, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.01Apr 20, 1973Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

37 crests from 1959 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Rock River at Dixon, 1959 to 2024 10121416182022ft Flood stage 16.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Apr 5, 1959: 18.40 ft, moderate floodingApr 20, 1973: 20.50 ft, major floodingMar 25, 1975: 18.50 ft, moderate floodingMar 21, 1979: 18.40 ft, moderate floodingJul 2, 1996: 19.00 ft, moderate floodingJul 25, 2010: 17.83 ft, minor flooding; 42,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2011: 14.38 ft, action stage; 25,100 cubic feet per secondNov 10, 2011: 11.50 ft, below flood stage; 15,700 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2013: 14.94 ft, action stage; 27,100 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2013: 18.16 ft, moderate flooding; 41,100 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2013: 15.41 ft, action stage; 28,600 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2014: 14.38 ft, action stageJul 2, 2014: 13.52 ft, action stage; 20,800 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2015: 11.60 ft, below flood stageJun 17, 2015: 13.72 ft, action stage; 21,600 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 2017: 15.80 ft, action stageJul 22, 2017: 17.72 ft, minor flooding; 40,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 2018: 13.65 ft, action stageFeb 21, 2018: 16.61 ft, minor flooding; 34,500 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 2018: 15.70 ft, action stage; 29,900 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 2018: 16.47 ft, minor flooding; 33,800 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 2019: 16.47 ft, minor flooding; 8,440 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 2019: 18.29 ft, moderate flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2019: 18.40 ft, moderate flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2019: 18.02 ft, moderate floodingMar 16, 2019: 17.67 ft, minor flooding; 40,000 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2019: 14.42 ft, action stage; 25,600 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2019: 15.29 ft, action stage; 29,300 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 2019: 15.16 ft, action stage; 28,700 cubic feet per secondOct 5, 2019: 15.68 ft, action stage; 31,200 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 2020: 16.32 ft, minor flooding; 10,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2020: 15.06 ft, action stage; 28,200 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2020: 14.79 ft, action stage; 27,000 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 2022: 13.47 ft, action stage; 2,810 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2023: 13.65 ft, action stage; 22,100 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2024: 14.31 ft, action stage; 25,200 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 2024: 15.52 ft, action stage; 30,300 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.50 ft, Apr 20, 1973 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Rock River at Dixon 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 3 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 10 10 2020s: 1 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Rock River at Dixon
1Apr 20, 197320.50+4.50Major—
2Jul 2, 199619.00+3.00Moderate—
3Mar 25, 197518.50+2.50Moderate—
4Apr 5, 195918.40+2.40Moderate—
5Mar 21, 197918.40+2.40Moderate—
6Feb 24, 201918.40+2.40Moderate25,000
7Feb 8, 201918.29+2.29Moderate16,000
8Apr 20, 201318.16+2.16Moderate41,100
9Mar 6, 201918.02+2.02Moderate—
10Jul 25, 201017.83+1.83Minor42,100
11Jul 22, 201717.72+1.72Minor40,700
12Mar 16, 201917.67+1.67Minor40,000
13Feb 21, 201816.61+0.61Minor34,500
14Oct 8, 201816.47+0.47Minor33,800
15Jan 23, 201916.47+0.47Minor8,440
16Jan 20, 202016.32+0.32Minor10,000
17Jan 21, 201715.80−0.20Action—
18Sep 5, 201815.70−0.30Action29,900
19Oct 5, 201915.68−0.32Action31,200
20Jul 17, 202415.52−0.48Action30,300
21Jun 28, 201315.41−0.59Action28,600
22May 31, 201915.29−0.71Action29,300
23Sep 15, 201915.16−0.84Action28,700
24Mar 30, 202015.06−0.94Action28,200
25Mar 12, 201314.94−1.06Action27,100
26May 19, 202014.79−1.21Action27,000
27May 3, 201914.42−1.58Action25,600
28Feb 22, 201114.38−1.62Action25,100
29Mar 16, 201414.38−1.62Action—
30Apr 5, 202414.31−1.69Action25,200
31Jun 17, 201513.72−2.28Action21,600
32Feb 4, 201813.65−2.35Action—
33Apr 6, 202313.65−2.35Action22,100
34Jul 2, 201413.52−2.48Action20,800
35Dec 22, 202213.47−2.53Action2,810
36Mar 14, 201511.60−4.40Below flood stage—
37Nov 10, 201111.50−4.50Below flood stage15,700

The worst floods along the Rock River

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

April 20, 1973: 20.50 ft here, major flooding

March 25, 1975: 18.50 ft here, moderate flooding

  • RocktonIL · Mar 25, 1975 · 15.54 ft · Major · its highest
  • Latham ParkIL · Mar 26, 1975 · 14.70 ft · Major · its highest
  • MolineIL · Mar 29, 1975 · 14.00 ft · Major
  • JoslinIL · Mar 28, 1975 · 15.95 ft · Moderate
  • ByronIL · Mar 25, 1975 · 15.00 ft · Moderate
  • AftonWI · Apr 1, 1975 · 11.25 ft · Moderate
  • Rockford (Fordam Dam)IL · Mar 26, 1975 · 5.50 ft · Moderate
  • Rockford (Auburn Street)IL · Mar 26, 1975 · 7.80 ft · Minor

April 5, 1959: 18.40 ft here, moderate flooding

  • RocktonIL · Apr 4, 1959 · 14.08 ft · Major
  • ByronIL · Apr 5, 1959 · 14.70 ft · Moderate
  • JoslinIL · Apr 7, 1959 · 14.36 ft · Moderate
  • Latham ParkIL · Apr 5, 1959 · 12.10 ft · Moderate
  • AftonWI · Apr 10, 1959 · 11.77 ft · Moderate
  • WatertownWI · Apr 4, 1959 · 6.32 ft · Moderate
  • Rockford (Fordam Dam)IL · Apr 4, 1959 · 5.17 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Rock River

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

Flood gauges on the Rock River
AftonWI9.013.51 ft, Jun 21, 20083
ByronIL13.017.80 ft, Apr 20, 19735
ComoIL12.515.64 ft, Jul 23, 20170
Dixon this gaugeIL16.020.50 ft, Apr 20, 19731
Fort AtkinsonWI16.020.90 ft, Jun 15, 20082
JeffersonWI10.015.64 ft, Jun 19, 20081
Lake KoshkonongWI10.015.13 ft, Jun 21, 20086
Latham ParkIL9.014.70 ft, Mar 26, 19753
Lebanon-3 E-Hwy MM bridgeWI10.014.01 ft, Jun 15, 20081
MolineIL12.016.53 ft, Apr 22, 201334
NewvilleWI6.58.51 ft, Apr 23, 20131
Rockford (Auburn Street)IL6.010.00 ft, Apr 20, 18811
Rockford (Fordam Dam)IL4.06.50 ft, Apr 20, 18811
RocktonIL10.015.54 ft, Mar 25, 19754
WatertownWI5.57.81 ft, Jun 13, 20082
JoslinIL12.019.24 ft, Jun 7, 200224

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DXRI2, 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.