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Rock River at Rockford (Auburn Street)

Highest listed crest 10.00 ftFlood stage 6.0 ft29 crests since 1881

The Rock River at Rockford (Auburn Street) crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 29 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1881 to 2022. The highest, 10.00 ft on April 20, 1881, was major flooding, 4.00 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge 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
10.00 ft
April 20, 1881
Flood stage
6.0 ft
Major flooding from 10.0 ft
Crests at major
1
101st of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
March 18, 2019
7.43 ft, minor flooding
Location
Winnebago County
Near Rockford (2.0 mi), Loves Park (4.8 mi), Machesney Park (5.8 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 Rockford (Auburn Street)
Action stage5.55Oct 8, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.09Mar 18, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.50—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.01Apr 20, 1881Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

29 crests from 1881 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Rock River at Rockford (Auburn Street), 1881 to 2022 246810ft Flood stage 6.0 ftMajor 10.0 ft Apr 20, 1881: 10.00 ft, major floodingApr 5, 1959: 5.80 ft, action stageApr 23, 1973: 6.80 ft, minor floodingMar 26, 1975: 7.80 ft, minor floodingApr 3, 1979: 5.90 ft, action stageAug 28, 2002: 3.20 ft, below flood stageMay 11, 2003: 3.23 ft, below flood stageJun 12, 2004: 4.84 ft, below flood stageFeb 19, 2005: 4.14 ft, below flood stageApr 12, 2006: 3.55 ft, below flood stageAug 26, 2007: 4.68 ft, below flood stageJun 21, 2008: 7.39 ft, minor floodingMar 29, 2009: 4.76 ft, below flood stageJul 29, 2010: 6.16 ft, minor floodingApr 20, 2013: 6.93 ft, minor floodingJun 27, 2013: 5.00 ft, below flood stageMar 20, 2014: 4.15 ft, below flood stageJan 12, 2016: 5.74 ft, action stageJul 28, 2017: 6.03 ft, minor floodingJan 23, 2018: 5.96 ft, action stageFeb 26, 2018: 6.37 ft, minor floodingSep 10, 2018: 5.22 ft, below flood stageOct 7, 2018: 6.60 ft, minor floodingMar 18, 2019: 7.43 ft, minor floodingOct 8, 2019: 5.83 ft, action stageMar 29, 2020: 4.04 ft, below flood stageAug 11, 2020: 4.01 ft, below flood stageJan 1, 2021: 4.42 ft, below flood stageDec 21, 2022: 4.53 ft, below flood stage Highest, 10.00 ft, Apr 20, 1881 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Rock River at Rockford (Auburn Street) 1880s: 1 1890s: 0 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 6 6 2020s: 0 1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
  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 Rockford (Auburn Street)
1Apr 20, 188110.00+4.00Major—
2Mar 26, 19757.80+1.80Minor—
3Mar 18, 20197.43+1.43Minor—
4Jun 21, 20087.39+1.39Minor—
5Apr 20, 20136.93+0.93Minor—
6Apr 23, 19736.80+0.80Minor—
7Oct 7, 20186.60+0.60Minor—
8Feb 26, 20186.37+0.37Minor—
9Jul 29, 20106.16+0.16Minor—
10Jul 28, 20176.03+0.03Minor—
11Jan 23, 20185.96−0.04Action—
12Apr 3, 19795.90−0.10Action—
13Oct 8, 20195.83−0.17Action—
14Apr 5, 19595.80−0.20Action—
15Jan 12, 20165.74−0.26Action—
16Sep 10, 20185.22−0.78Below flood stage—
17Jun 27, 20135.00−1.00Below flood stage—
18Jun 12, 20044.84−1.16Below flood stage—
19Mar 29, 20094.76−1.24Below flood stage—
20Aug 26, 20074.68−1.32Below flood stage—
21Dec 21, 20224.53−1.47Below flood stage—
22Jan 1, 20214.42−1.58Below flood stage—
23Mar 20, 20144.15−1.85Below flood stage—
24Feb 19, 20054.14−1.86Below flood stage—
25Mar 29, 20204.04−1.96Below flood stage—
26Aug 11, 20204.01−1.99Below flood stage—
27Apr 12, 20063.55−2.45Below flood stage—
28May 11, 20033.23−2.77Below flood stage—
29Aug 28, 20023.20−2.80Below flood stage—

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, 1881: 10.00 ft here, major flooding

March 26, 1975: 7.80 ft here, minor 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
  • DixonIL · Mar 25, 1975 · 18.50 ft · Moderate
  • 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

March 18, 2019: 7.43 ft here, minor flooding

  • JoslinIL · Mar 16, 2019 · 18.51 ft · Major
  • ByronIL · Mar 16, 2019 · 16.64 ft · Major
  • MolineIL · Mar 17, 2019 · 15.57 ft · Major
  • RocktonIL · Mar 17, 2019 · 15.13 ft · Major
  • Latham ParkIL · Mar 17, 2019 · 14.46 ft · Major
  • Lake KoshkonongWI · Mar 25, 2019 · 11.50 ft · Major
  • Fort AtkinsonWI · Mar 24, 2019 · 17.22 ft · Moderate
  • JeffersonWI · Mar 16, 2019 · 11.50 ft · Moderate
  • NewvilleWI · Mar 25, 2019 · 7.60 ft · Moderate
  • DixonIL · Mar 16, 2019 · 17.67 ft · Minor

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
DixonIL16.020.50 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) this gaugeIL6.010.00 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

Other gauges in Winnebago County

Flood gauges in Winnebago County
Perryville12.023.54 ft, Jul 18, 19961
Shirland12.018.08 ft, Mar 25, 197511
Latham Park9.014.70 ft, Mar 26, 19753
Rockford (Fordam Dam)4.06.50 ft, Apr 20, 18811
Rockton10.015.54 ft, Mar 25, 19754

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge RABI2, 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.