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Monocacy River near Frederick at Interstate 70

Highest listed crest 35.90 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft121 crests since 1929

The Monocacy River near Frederick at Interstate 70 crested at major flood stage 21 times among the 121 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1929 to 2024. The highest, 35.90 ft on June 23, 1972, was major flooding, 20.90 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Monocacy River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
35.90 ft
June 23, 1972; 81,600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
21
1st of 108 gauges in Maryland
Most recent flood crest
January 10, 2024
17.75 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Frederick County
Near Frederick (3.4 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Monocacy River near Frederick at Interstate 70
Action stage13.01Jun 4, 2003The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.055May 1, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.044Jan 10, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.021Sep 2, 2021Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

121 crests from 1929 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Monocacy River near Frederick at Interstate 70, 1929 to 2024 10203040ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Oct 3, 1929: 16.00 ft, minor flooding; 18,500 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 1933: 16.08 ft, minor flooding; 20,300 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 1933: 28.10 ft, major flooding; 51,000 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1933: 15.98 ft, minor flooding; 20,000 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1934: 21.60 ft, major flooding; 33,500 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1934: 15.38 ft, minor flooding; 18,700 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1934: 17.20 ft, moderate flooding; 22,800 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1936: 16.40 ft, minor flooding; 20,900 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1937: 21.70 ft, major flooding; 33,800 cubic feet per secondNov 14, 1937: 16.75 ft, minor flooding; 21,800 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1940: 17.53 ft, moderate flooding; 23,400 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 1940: 17.85 ft, moderate flooding; 24,100 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1940: 16.59 ft, minor flooding; 21,400 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1942: 17.40 ft, moderate flooding; 18,100 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 1942: 20.29 ft, major flooding; 27,900 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1942: 16.97 ft, minor flooding; 19,700 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1942: 16.57 ft, minor flooding; 18,800 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1943: 18.74 ft, moderate flooding; 24,600 cubic feet per secondNov 9, 1943: 18.05 ft, moderate flooding; 22,900 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1944: 19.01 ft, moderate flooding; 25,300 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1945: 17.15 ft, moderate flooding; 19,800 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1946: 19.27 ft, moderate flooding; 24,600 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 1948: 15.43 ft, minor flooding; 16,100 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1948: 17.14 ft, moderate flooding; 19,600 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 1949: 15.66 ft, minor flooding; 16,700 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1949: 21.30 ft, major flooding; 29,700 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1949: 16.07 ft, minor flooding; 17,500 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1950: 15.09 ft, minor flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per secondDec 5, 1950: 17.30 ft, moderate flooding; 20,100 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1952: 17.76 ft, moderate flooding; 21,200 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1952: 18.41 ft, moderate flooding; 22,500 cubic feet per secondNov 22, 1952: 17.73 ft, moderate flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1955: 16.17 ft, minor flooding; 17,700 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1955: 15.98 ft, minor flooding; 17,300 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1957: 16.41 ft, minor flooding; 18,200 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1957: 15.33 ft, minor flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1965: 17.15 ft, moderate flooding; 19,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1966: 15.63 ft, minor flooding; 16,600 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 1966: 18.34 ft, moderate flooding; 22,400 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1967: 18.42 ft, moderate flooding; 22,600 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1970: 15.27 ft, minor flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1970: 16.48 ft, minor flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1972: 35.90 ft, major flooding; 81,600 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1973: 16.28 ft, minor flooding; 17,900 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1974: 15.55 ft, minor flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1975: 15.93 ft, minor flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1975: 30.80 ft, major flooding; 61,200 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1976: 25.38 ft, major flooding; 43,500 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1978: 20.33 ft, major flooding; 29,100 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1978: 15.72 ft, minor flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1979: 20.25 ft, major flooding; 28,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1979: 19.40 ft, moderate flooding; 26,800 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1979: 22.03 ft, major flooding; 33,700 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 1979: 16.57 ft, minor flooding; 20,100 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1980: 17.34 ft, moderate flooding; 21,800 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1983: 19.34 ft, moderate flooding; 26,600 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1983: 17.15 ft, moderate flooding; 21,400 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1983: 18.24 ft, moderate flooding; 23,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1984: 20.01 ft, major flooding; 28,300 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1984: 16.00 ft, minor flooding; 19,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1985: 19.38 ft, moderate flooding; 26,700 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 1987: 18.28 ft, moderate flooding; 22,900 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1988: 18.47 ft, moderate flooding; 23,300 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1989: 17.04 ft, moderate flooding; 20,000 cubic feet per secondOct 24, 1990: 15.18 ft, minor flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondNov 23, 1992: 15.21 ft, minor flooding; 16,100 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 1992: 16.99 ft, minor flooding; 19,900 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1993: 18.41 ft, moderate flooding; 23,200 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1993: 17.68 ft, moderate flooding; 21,500 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1993: 15.32 ft, minor flooding; 16,300 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1993: 20.13 ft, major flooding; 27,500 cubic feet per secondDec 6, 1993: 20.64 ft, major flooding; 28,800 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1995: 16.18 ft, minor flooding; 18,100 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1996: 23.67 ft, major flooding; 37,400 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1996: 16.32 ft, minor flooding; 18,400 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1996: 22.54 ft, major flooding; 34,100 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1996: 17.74 ft, moderate flooding; 21,600 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1996: 16.70 ft, minor flooding; 19,300 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1996: 18.15 ft, moderate flooding; 22,600 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1998: 17.79 ft, moderate flooding; 21,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1998: 15.17 ft, minor flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1998: 17.74 ft, moderate flooding; 21,600 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2000: 16.43 ft, minor flooding; 18,700 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2000: 15.89 ft, minor flooding; 17,500 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 2003: 15.17 ft, minor floodingJun 4, 2003: 14.97 ft, action stageJun 8, 2003: 15.10 ft, minor floodingSep 24, 2003: 19.71 ft, moderate floodingDec 12, 2003: 20.92 ft, major floodingApr 3, 2005: 17.43 ft, moderate flooding; 18,600 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2006: 15.29 ft, minor flooding; 14,500 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 2007: 17.07 ft, moderate flooding; 18,100 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2008: 17.04 ft, moderate flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 2008: 16.54 ft, minor flooding; 17,100 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 2009: 18.12 ft, moderate flooding; 20,300 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2010: 16.71 ft, minor flooding; 17,410 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2010: 16.96 ft, minor flooding; 17,819 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2011: 16.01 ft, minor flooding; 16,110 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2011: 16.94 ft, minor flooding; 17,780 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2011: 20.61 ft, major flooding; 26,320 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2011: 17.04 ft, moderate floodingOct 31, 2012: 21.77 ft, major flooding; 29,710 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2013: 17.57 ft, moderate flooding; 19,940 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2014: 15.52 ft, minor flooding; 16,140 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2014: 19.21 ft, moderate flooding; 23,519 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2014: 18.65 ft, moderate flooding; 22,200 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2015: 15.52 ft, minor flooding; 16,140 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 2016: 16.71 ft, minor flooding; 18,220 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2016: 16.55 ft, minor flooding; 17,900 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 2018: 17.62 ft, moderate flooding; 20,651 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 2018: 15.74 ft, minor flooding; 16,949 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 2018: 21.36 ft, major flooding; 29,056 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2018: 16.32 ft, minor flooding; 18,059 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 2018: 15.57 ft, minor flooding; 16,629 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 2018: 16.38 ft, minor flooding; 18,175 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2019: 16.59 ft, minor flooding; 18,585 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2019: 16.62 ft, minor flooding; 18,644 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2020: 15.83 ft, minor flooding; 17,119 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 22.10 ft, major flooding; 31,021 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 2021: 19.04 ft, moderate flooding; 23,600 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 17.75 ft, moderate flooding; 20,918 cubic feet per second Highest, 35.90 ft, Jun 23, 1972 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Monocacy River near Frederick at Interstate 70 1920s: 1 1930s: 9 1940s: 17 1950s: 9 1960s: 4 1970s: 14 1980s: 10 1990s: 18 2000s: 12 2010s: 22 22 2020s: 4 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 121 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Monocacy River near Frederick at Interstate 70
1Jun 23, 197235.90+20.90Major81,600
2Sep 26, 197530.80+15.80Major61,200
3Aug 24, 193328.10+13.10Major51,000
4Oct 10, 197625.38+10.38Major43,500
5Jan 20, 199623.67+8.67Major37,400
6Jun 20, 199622.54+7.54Major34,100
7Sep 2, 202122.10+7.10Major31,021
8Sep 6, 197922.03+7.03Major33,700
9Oct 31, 201221.77+6.77Major29,710
10Apr 27, 193721.70+6.70Major33,800
11Sep 17, 193421.60+6.60Major33,500
12Sep 10, 201821.36+6.36Major29,056
13Jul 13, 194921.30+6.30Major29,700
14Dec 12, 200320.92+5.92Major—
15Dec 6, 199320.64+5.64Major28,800
16Apr 18, 201120.61+5.61Major26,320
17Jan 27, 197820.33+5.33Major29,100
18Aug 14, 194220.29+5.29Major27,900
19Jan 25, 197920.25+5.25Major28,900
20Nov 29, 199320.13+5.13Major27,500
21Feb 15, 198420.01+5.01Major28,300
22Sep 24, 200319.71+4.71Moderate—
23Feb 26, 197919.40+4.40Moderate26,800
24Feb 13, 198519.38+4.38Moderate26,700
25Apr 11, 198319.34+4.34Moderate26,600
26Jun 3, 194619.27+4.27Moderate24,600
27May 1, 201419.21+4.21Moderate23,519
28Sep 24, 202119.04+4.04Moderate23,600
29Jan 4, 194419.01+4.01Moderate25,300
30May 21, 194318.74+3.74Moderate24,600
31May 17, 201418.65+3.65Moderate22,200
32May 19, 198818.47+3.47Moderate23,300
33Mar 8, 196718.42+3.42Moderate22,600
34Apr 27, 195218.41+3.41Moderate22,500
35Mar 5, 199318.41+3.41Moderate23,200
36Sep 15, 196618.34+3.34Moderate22,400
37Nov 30, 198718.28+3.28Moderate22,900
38Dec 14, 198318.24+3.24Moderate23,900
39Dec 14, 199618.15+3.15Moderate22,600
40Dec 27, 200918.12+3.12Moderate20,300
41Nov 9, 194318.05+3.05Moderate22,900
42Sep 1, 194017.85+2.85Moderate24,100
43Jan 9, 199817.79+2.79Moderate21,700
44Mar 11, 195217.76+2.76Moderate21,200
45Jan 10, 202417.75+2.75Moderate20,918
46Sep 7, 199617.74+2.74Moderate21,600
47Mar 21, 199817.74+2.74Moderate21,600
48Nov 22, 195217.73+2.73Moderate21,000
49Mar 24, 199317.68+2.68Moderate21,500
50Jul 23, 201817.62+2.62Moderate20,651

The worst floods along the Monocacy River

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

June 23, 1972: 35.90 ft here, major flooding

  • BridgeportMD · Jun 22, 1972 · 24.05 ft · Moderate

September 26, 1975: 30.80 ft here, major flooding

October 10, 1976: 25.38 ft here, major flooding

  • BridgeportMD · Oct 9, 1976 · 23.18 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Monocacy River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Monocacy River
BridgeportMD13.025.42 ft, Jun 19, 19961
Monocacy Blvd. in FrederickMD17.825.86 ft, Sep 2, 20216
Frederick at Interstate 70 this gaugeMD15.035.90 ft, Jun 23, 197221

Other gauges in Frederick County

Flood gauges in Frederick County
Park Mills11.022.10 ft, Jun 21, 19721
Bridgeport13.025.42 ft, Jun 19, 19961
Monocacy Blvd. in Frederick17.825.86 ft, Sep 2, 20216
Point of Rocks16.041.03 ft, Mar 19, 193614

Frederick County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Maryland

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FDKM2, 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.