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Missouri River at Jefferson City

Highest listed crest 38.65 ftFlood stage 23.0 ft77 crests since 1944

The Missouri River at Jefferson City crested at major flood stage 10 times among the 77 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1944 to 2026. The highest, 38.65 ft on July 30, 1993, was major flooding, 15.65 feet above flood stage. 16 other gauges on the Missouri River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 10 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
38.65 ft
July 30, 1993
Flood stage
23.0 ft
Major flooding from 30.0 ft
Crests at major
10
15th of 173 gauges in Missouri
Most recent flood crest
June 8, 2026
24.18 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cole County
Near Jefferson City (1.4 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Missouri River at Jefferson City
Action stage21.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)23.019Jun 8, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage25.048Jul 5, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage30.010Jun 7, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

77 crests from 1944 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Missouri River at Jefferson City, 1944 to 2026 2025303540ft Flood stage 23.0 ftMajor 30.0 ft Apr 27, 1944: 32.18 ft, major floodingMar 24, 1948: 24.55 ft, minor floodingJul 18, 1951: 34.20 ft, major floodingSep 24, 1965: 26.90 ft, moderate floodingApr 24, 1973: 31.40 ft, major floodingJul 30, 1981: 25.90 ft, moderate floodingJun 13, 1982: 28.00 ft, moderate floodingDec 4, 1982: 25.40 ft, moderate floodingApr 23, 1984: 25.60 ft, moderate floodingNov 3, 1984: 24.30 ft, minor floodingFeb 25, 1985: 29.40 ft, moderate floodingOct 14, 1985: 26.30 ft, moderate floodingNov 20, 1985: 25.50 ft, moderate floodingMay 20, 1986: 27.00 ft, moderate floodingOct 5, 1986: 32.60 ft, major floodingApr 18, 1987: 25.00 ft, moderate floodingJul 30, 1993: 38.65 ft, major floodingSep 29, 1993: 31.85 ft, major floodingApr 12, 1994: 29.25 ft, moderate floodingMay 19, 1995: 33.05 ft, major floodingMay 30, 1996: 29.25 ft, moderate floodingFeb 23, 1997: 27.84 ft, moderate floodingApr 14, 1997: 28.75 ft, moderate floodingApr 3, 1998: 26.82 ft, moderate floodingOct 7, 1998: 29.95 ft, moderate floodingJun 8, 2001: 30.59 ft, major flooding; 325,500 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2001: 25.80 ft, moderate floodingMay 14, 2002: 28.24 ft, moderate flooding; 281,000 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2005: 23.99 ft, minor floodingMay 13, 2007: 29.46 ft, moderate floodingJun 17, 2008: 27.37 ft, moderate floodingJun 30, 2008: 26.26 ft, moderate floodingJul 31, 2008: 25.91 ft, moderate floodingSep 16, 2008: 29.67 ft, moderate floodingMay 1, 2009: 27.69 ft, moderate flooding; 290,000 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2009: 25.08 ft, moderate flooding; 235,700 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2009: 25.45 ft, moderate flooding; 239,400 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2010: 23.80 ft, minor floodingMar 28, 2010: 23.25 ft, minor floodingApr 27, 2010: 24.40 ft, minor floodingMay 17, 2010: 27.55 ft, moderate floodingJun 21, 2010: 28.96 ft, moderate floodingJul 9, 2010: 25.82 ft, moderate floodingJul 23, 2010: 23.15 ft, minor floodingSep 25, 2010: 24.91 ft, minor floodingMay 28, 2011: 25.67 ft, moderate floodingJun 5, 2011: 23.53 ft, minor floodingJul 2, 2011: 27.23 ft, moderate floodingApr 21, 2013: 23.06 ft, minor floodingJun 2, 2013: 30.83 ft, major floodingMay 19, 2015: 23.41 ft, minor flooding; 221,000 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2015: 23.31 ft, minor flooding; 215,000 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2015: 27.81 ft, moderate flooding; 293,000 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2015: 27.47 ft, moderate flooding; 285,000 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2015: 26.55 ft, moderate flooding; 265,000 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2015: 23.16 ft, minor flooding; 204,000 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2015: 26.19 ft, moderate flooding; 257,000 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 2015: 23.24 ft, minor flooding; 214,000 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2015: 25.17 ft, moderate flooding; 252,000 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2015: 26.80 ft, moderate flooding; 284,000 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2016: 26.23 ft, moderate flooding; 276,000 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2017: 23.13 ft, minor flooding; 222,000 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2017: 26.97 ft, moderate flooding; 287,600 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 2018: 25.48 ft, moderate flooding; 269,000 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2019: 28.13 ft, moderate flooding; 293,000 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2019: 28.13 ft, moderate flooding; 291,000 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2019: 26.52 ft, moderate flooding; 269,000 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2019: 33.41 ft, major floodingSep 2, 2019: 23.82 ft, minor floodingOct 7, 2019: 26.10 ft, moderate floodingMar 21, 2020: 23.09 ft, minor flooding; 226,000 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2020: 25.27 ft, moderate flooding; 256,000 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 2021: 25.16 ft, moderate flooding; 242,000 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2021: 27.58 ft, moderate flooding; 254,000 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2024: 23.95 ft, minor flooding; 238,200 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2024: 26.46 ft, moderate flooding; 256,000 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2026: 24.18 ft, minor flooding; 236,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 38.65 ft, Jul 30, 1993 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Missouri River at Jefferson City 1940s: 2 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 11 1990s: 9 2000s: 12 2010s: 33 33 2020s: 7 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.
  3. 43 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 26.30 ft on Jun 23, 1883; 24.10 ft on May 15, 1892; 23.30 ft on Apr 29, 1897; 23.20 ft on Jun 16, 1898; 33.50 ft on Jun 6, 1903; 24.60 ft on Apr 27, 1904; and more.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 77 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Missouri River at Jefferson City
1Jul 30, 199338.65+15.65Major—
2Jul 18, 195134.20+11.20Major—
3Jun 7, 201933.41+10.41Major—
4May 19, 199533.05+10.05Major—
5Oct 5, 198632.60+9.60Major—
6Apr 27, 194432.18+9.18Major—
7Sep 29, 199331.85+8.85Major—
8Apr 24, 197331.40+8.40Major—
9Jun 2, 201330.83+7.83Major—
10Jun 8, 200130.59+7.59Major325,500
11Oct 7, 199829.95+6.95Moderate—
12Sep 16, 200829.67+6.67Moderate—
13May 13, 200729.46+6.46Moderate—
14Feb 25, 198529.40+6.40Moderate—
15Apr 12, 199429.25+6.25Moderate—
16May 30, 199629.25+6.25Moderate—
17Jun 21, 201028.96+5.96Moderate—
18Apr 14, 199728.75+5.75Moderate—
19May 14, 200228.24+5.24Moderate281,000
20Apr 1, 201928.13+5.13Moderate293,000
21May 3, 201928.13+5.13Moderate291,000
22Jun 13, 198228.00+5.00Moderate—
23Feb 23, 199727.84+4.84Moderate—
24Jun 9, 201527.81+4.81Moderate293,000
25May 1, 200927.69+4.69Moderate290,000
26Jun 28, 202127.58+4.58Moderate254,000
27May 17, 201027.55+4.55Moderate—
28Jun 18, 201527.47+4.47Moderate285,000
29Jun 17, 200827.37+4.37Moderate—
30Jul 2, 201127.23+4.23Moderate—
31May 20, 198627.00+4.00Moderate—
32May 2, 201726.97+3.97Moderate287,600
33Sep 24, 196526.90+3.90Moderate—
34Apr 3, 199826.82+3.82Moderate—
35Dec 29, 201526.80+3.80Moderate284,000
36Jun 29, 201526.55+3.55Moderate265,000
37May 12, 201926.52+3.52Moderate269,000
38Jul 5, 202426.46+3.46Moderate256,000
39Oct 14, 198526.30+3.30Moderate—
40Jun 30, 200826.26+3.26Moderate—
41May 31, 201626.23+3.23Moderate276,000
42Jul 10, 201526.19+3.19Moderate257,000
43Oct 7, 201926.10+3.10Moderate—
44Jul 31, 200825.91+2.91Moderate—
45Jul 30, 198125.90+2.90Moderate—
46Jul 9, 201025.82+2.82Moderate—
47Jun 23, 200125.80+2.80Moderate—
48May 28, 201125.67+2.67Moderate—
49Apr 23, 198425.60+2.60Moderate—
50Nov 20, 198525.50+2.50Moderate—

The worst floods along the Missouri River

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

July 30, 1993: 38.65 ft here, major flooding

  • BrownvilleNE · Jul 24, 1993 · 44.30 ft · Major
  • St. CharlesMO · Aug 2, 1993 · 40.04 ft · Major
  • GlasgowMO · Jul 29, 1993 · 39.50 ft · Major · its highest
  • BoonvilleMO · Jul 29, 1993 · 37.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • HermannMO · Jul 31, 1993 · 36.97 ft · Major · its highest
  • PlattsmouthNE · Jul 25, 1993 · 35.65 ft · Major
  • WashingtonMO · Jul 31, 1993 · 35.40 ft · Major · its highest
  • LeavenworthKS · Jul 28, 1993 · 35.34 ft · Major · its highest
  • ChamoisMO · Jul 31, 1993 · 33.30 ft · Major · its highest
  • MiamiMO · Jul 30, 1993 · 32.60 ft · Major · its highest

July 18, 1951: 34.20 ft here, major flooding

  • St. CharlesMO · Jul 20, 1951 · 37.30 ft · Major
  • GlasgowMO · Jul 17, 1951 · 36.70 ft · Major
  • MiamiMO · Jul 16, 1951 · 29.00 ft · Major
  • Kansas CityMO · Jul 14, 1951 · 46.20 ft · Moderate
  • BoonvilleMO · Jul 17, 1951 · 32.62 ft · Moderate
  • WashingtonMO · Jul 19, 1951 · 30.90 ft · Moderate
  • NapoleonMO · Jul 15, 1951 · 26.80 ft · Moderate
  • WaverlyMO · Jul 14, 1951 · 28.20 ft · Minor

June 7, 2019: 33.41 ft here, major flooding

  • ChamberlainSD · Jun 2, 2019 · 71.08 ft · Major
  • HermannMO · Jun 8, 2019 · 33.52 ft · Major
  • WaverlyMO · Jun 1, 2019 · 31.92 ft · Major · its highest
  • MiamiMO · Jun 1, 2019 · 31.53 ft · Major
  • BrownvilleNE · Jun 5, 2019 · 39.45 ft · Moderate
  • Kansas CityMO · Jun 2, 2019 · 36.73 ft · Moderate
  • St. CharlesMO · Jun 9, 2019 · 35.59 ft · Moderate
  • ParkvilleMO · Jun 2, 2019 · 34.68 ft · Moderate
  • BoonvilleMO · May 31, 2019 · 33.73 ft · Moderate
  • PlattsmouthNE · Jun 4, 2019 · 32.11 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Missouri River

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

Flood gauges on the Missouri River
ParkvilleMO25.035.01 ft, Mar 23, 20191
AtchisonKS22.031.63 ft, Jul 26, 19933
BoonvilleMO21.037.10 ft, Jul 29, 19931
BrownvilleNE34.045.73 ft, Mar 16, 20193
ChamberlainSD65.075.08 ft, Jul 8, 20113
DecaturNE35.044.41 ft, Apr 16, 19521
Farm IslandSD26.029.52 ft, Jun 21, 20111
Gavins Point DamNE1,210.01,212.02 ft, Mar 15, 20190
GlasgowMO25.039.50 ft, Jul 29, 199324
HermannMO21.036.97 ft, Jul 31, 19939
Highway 370 at BellevueNE30.033.78 ft, Jun 29, 20240
Highway 92 at OmahaNE27.532.90 ft, Jun 29, 20240
Jefferson City this gaugeMO23.038.65 ft, Jul 30, 199310
Kansas CityMO32.048.87 ft, Jul 27, 19930
La Framboise IslandSD29.033.45 ft, Jun 22, 20111
LeavenworthKS20.035.34 ft, Jul 28, 19933
MiamiMO18.032.60 ft, Jul 30, 19935
NapoleonMO17.029.73 ft, Jun 2, 20190
Nebraska CityNE18.030.12 ft, Mar 16, 20193
NiobraraNE21.026.76 ft, Jun 26, 20111
OmahaNE27.036.29 ft, Jul 2, 20110
PierreSD13.025.35 ft, Apr 10, 19525
PlattsmouthNE26.040.62 ft, Mar 16, 20193
RuloNE17.028.13 ft, Mar 20, 20193
Sioux CityNE30.035.25 ft, Jul 21, 20110
SpringfieldSD11.017.73 ft, Mar 14, 20191
St. CharlesMO25.040.11 ft, Jun 24, 18449
St. JosephMO17.032.07 ft, Jul 26, 19934
WashingtonMO20.035.40 ft, Jul 31, 19935
YanktonSD20.050.50 ft, Apr 5, 188138
BlairNE26.533.50 ft, Apr 17, 19521
ChamoisMO17.033.30 ft, Jul 31, 19931
GreenwoodSD30.038.78 ft, Jul 7, 20112
MaskellNE30.031.86 ft, Jun 29, 20110
PoncaNE20.029.15 ft, Jul 20, 20111
VerdelNE24.029.12 ft, Jun 30, 20112
WaverlyMO20.031.92 ft, Jun 1, 20193

Other gauges in Cole County

Flood gauges in Cole County
Jefferson City17.034.00 ft, Apr 12, 199411
St. Thomas23.029.53 ft, Dec 29, 20150

Cole County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Missouri

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge JFFM7, 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.