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West Branch Du Page River near West Chicago

Highest listed crest 12.28 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft82 crests since 1961

The West Branch Du Page River near West Chicago crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 82 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1961 to 2024. The highest, 12.28 ft on September 13, 2008, was major flooding, 5.28 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the West Branch Du Page River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
12.28 ft
September 13, 2008; 1,840 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 11.0 ft
Crests at major
4
65th of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
July 15, 2024
8.32 ft, minor flooding
Location
DuPage County
Near West Chicago (2.4 mi), Carol Stream (2.4 mi), Winfield (2.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, West Branch Du Page River near West Chicago
Action stage6.07Jun 2, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.040Jul 15, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage9.031Apr 30, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage11.04May 15, 2020Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

82 crests from 1961 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the West Branch Du Page River near West Chicago, 1961 to 2024 68101214ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 11.0 ft Sep 26, 1961: 8.60 ft, minor flooding; 450 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1963: 7.11 ft, minor flooding; 217 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1964: 6.90 ft, action stage; 201 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 1965: 7.61 ft, minor flooding; 250 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1966: 9.09 ft, moderate flooding; 537 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1967: 10.36 ft, moderate flooding; 805 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1968: 7.96 ft, minor flooding; 340 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1969: 8.09 ft, minor flooding; 399 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1970: 9.02 ft, moderate flooding; 521 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1971: 8.13 ft, minor flooding; 333 cubic feet per secondAug 26, 1972: 9.95 ft, moderate flooding; 715 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1972: 9.30 ft, moderate flooding; 535 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1974: 9.25 ft, moderate flooding; 522 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1975: 9.09 ft, moderate flooding; 537 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1976: 9.20 ft, moderate flooding; 557 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1977: 6.42 ft, action stage; 158 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1978: 8.70 ft, minor flooding; 468 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1979: 10.25 ft, moderate flooding; 779 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1980: 7.81 ft, minor flooding; 311 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1981: 8.79 ft, minor flooding; 483 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1982: 9.61 ft, moderate flooding; 673 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1982: 10.44 ft, moderate flooding; 984 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1984: 9.07 ft, moderate flooding; 392 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1985: 9.71 ft, moderate flooding; 706 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 1985: 9.41 ft, moderate flooding; 613 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 1987: 10.63 ft, moderate flooding; 958 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1988: 7.85 ft, minor flooding; 377 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1989: 8.81 ft, minor flooding; 549 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1990: 8.88 ft, minor flooding; 571 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1990: 8.25 ft, minor flooding; 470 cubic feet per secondOct 5, 1991: 6.86 ft, action stage; 278 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1993: 8.18 ft, minor flooding; 460 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1994: 10.09 ft, moderate flooding; 786 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1995: 9.30 ft, moderate flooding; 643 cubic feet per secondNov 11, 1995: 8.81 ft, minor flooding; 592 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1997: 10.78 ft, moderate flooding; 892 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1998: 9.03 ft, moderate flooding; 623 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1999: 9.32 ft, moderate flooding; 666 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2000: 8.28 ft, minor flooding; 517 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2001: 10.36 ft, moderate flooding; 825 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 2001: 10.91 ft, moderate flooding; 913 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2003: 8.47 ft, minor flooding; 565 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2004: 8.26 ft, minor flooding; 538 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2005: 8.12 ft, minor flooding; 495 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2006: 8.65 ft, minor flooding; 569 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 2007: 10.35 ft, moderate flooding; 1,040 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2008: 12.28 ft, major flooding; 1,840 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2008: 10.49 ft, moderate flooding; 1,080 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2010: 11.17 ft, major flooding; 1,370 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2011: 9.24 ft, moderate flooding; 670 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 2011: 7.50 ft, minor flooding; 457 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2013: 11.12 ft, major flooding; 1,340 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 2014: 8.63 ft, minor flooding; 646 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2015: 10.09 ft, moderate flooding; 1,110 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 2016: 8.29 ft, minor flooding; 659 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2017: 8.57 ft, minor flooding; 730 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2017: 9.16 ft, moderate flooding; 831 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2017: 8.59 ft, minor flooding; 687 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2018: 9.54 ft, moderate flooding; 935 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2018: 9.30 ft, moderate flooding; 869 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2018: 8.31 ft, minor flooding; 621 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2019: 9.46 ft, moderate flooding; 912 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 2019: 8.97 ft, minor flooding; 781 cubic feet per secondOct 27, 2019: 8.36 ft, minor flooding; 633 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2020: 8.68 ft, minor flooding; 709 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2020: 9.06 ft, moderate flooding; 804 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2020: 11.09 ft, major flooding; 1,510 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 2020: 6.41 ft, action stage; 347 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2021: 7.63 ft, minor flooding; 517 cubic feet per secondOct 25, 2021: 7.29 ft, minor flooding; 440 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2022: 7.19 ft, minor flooding; 425 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2022: 7.55 ft, minor flooding; 502 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2022: 7.56 ft, minor flooding; 504 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2022: 6.26 ft, action stage; 322 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 2022: 6.77 ft, action stage; 376 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2023: 7.36 ft, minor flooding; 464 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 2023: 7.90 ft, minor flooding; 565 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2023: 7.39 ft, minor flooding; 468 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 2023: 8.25 ft, minor flooding; 643 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2024: 7.67 ft, minor flooding; 517 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2024: 6.15 ft, action stage; 294 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 2024: 8.32 ft, minor flooding; 660 cubic feet per second Highest, 12.28 ft, Sep 13, 2008 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, West Branch Du Page River near West Chicago 1960s: 7 1970s: 9 1980s: 10 1990s: 9 2000s: 10 2010s: 16 16 2020s: 14 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 82 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, West Branch Du Page River near West Chicago
1Sep 13, 200812.28+5.28Major1,840
2Jul 24, 201011.17+4.17Major1,370
3Apr 18, 201311.12+4.12Major1,340
4May 15, 202011.09+4.09Major1,510
5Oct 14, 200110.91+3.91Moderate913
6Feb 21, 199710.78+3.78Moderate892
7Aug 14, 198710.63+3.63Moderate958
8Dec 28, 200810.49+3.49Moderate1,080
9Dec 3, 198210.44+3.44Moderate984
10Jun 10, 196710.36+3.36Moderate805
11Sep 19, 200110.36+3.36Moderate825
12Aug 24, 200710.35+3.35Moderate1,040
13Mar 4, 197910.25+3.25Moderate779
14Jun 24, 199410.09+3.09Moderate786
15Jun 16, 201510.09+3.09Moderate1,110
16Aug 26, 19729.95+2.95Moderate715
17Mar 4, 19859.71+2.71Moderate706
18Mar 13, 19829.61+2.61Moderate673
19Feb 20, 20189.54+2.54Moderate935
20May 1, 20199.46+2.46Moderate912
21Nov 20, 19859.41+2.41Moderate613
22Apr 23, 19999.32+2.32Moderate666
23Dec 20, 19729.30+2.30Moderate535
24Apr 27, 19959.30+2.30Moderate643
25Jun 22, 20189.30+2.30Moderate869
26Jan 27, 19749.25+2.25Moderate522
27May 30, 20119.24+2.24Moderate670
28Mar 5, 19769.20+2.20Moderate557
29May 1, 20179.16+2.16Moderate831
30May 12, 19669.09+2.09Moderate537
31Apr 19, 19759.09+2.09Moderate537
32Feb 13, 19849.07+2.07Moderate392
33Apr 30, 20209.06+2.06Moderate804
34May 8, 19989.03+2.03Moderate623
35Jun 2, 19709.02+2.02Moderate521
36Oct 3, 20198.97+1.97Minor781
37May 10, 19908.88+1.88Minor571
38Aug 5, 19898.81+1.81Minor549
39Nov 11, 19958.81+1.81Minor592
40Apr 29, 19818.79+1.79Minor483
41Sep 18, 19788.70+1.70Minor468
42Mar 28, 20208.68+1.68Minor709
43Sep 23, 20068.65+1.65Minor569
44Aug 22, 20148.63+1.63Minor646
45Sep 26, 19618.60+1.60Minor450
46Oct 15, 20178.59+1.59Minor687
47Mar 31, 20178.57+1.57Minor730
48May 1, 20038.47+1.47Minor565
49Oct 27, 20198.36+1.36Minor633
50Jul 15, 20248.32+1.32Minor660

The worst floods along the West Branch Du Page River

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

September 13, 2008: 12.28 ft here, major flooding

July 24, 2010: 11.17 ft here, major flooding

April 18, 2013: 11.12 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the West Branch Du Page River

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

Flood gauges on the West Branch Du Page River
West Chicago this gaugeIL7.012.28 ft, Sep 13, 20084
WarrenvilleIL12.517.08 ft, Apr 18, 20130
Naperville (Webster St)IL667.0672.00 ft, Apr 19, 20130
Naperville (Fawell Dam)IL686.5692.10 ft, Sep 14, 20081

Other gauges in DuPage County

Flood gauges in DuPage County
Lisle13.017.50 ft, Apr 18, 20131
Downers Grove14.517.79 ft, Apr 18, 20133
West Chicago6.59.37 ft, Sep 14, 20080
Elmhurst11.015.83 ft, Aug 27, 19721
Oak Brook54.057.40 ft, Apr 18, 20130
Wood Dale12.516.58 ft, Sep 14, 20082
Lemont14.017.53 ft, Jul 18, 19960
Lisle11.015.20 ft, Jul 1, 19573
Naperville (Fawell Dam)686.5692.10 ft, Sep 14, 20081
Naperville (Webster St)667.0672.00 ft, Apr 19, 20130
Warrenville12.517.08 ft, Apr 18, 20130

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WBDI2, 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.