Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Delaware River at Trenton

Highest listed crest 30.60 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft33 crests since 1902

The Delaware River at Trenton crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 33 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1902 to 2021. The highest, 30.60 ft on March 8, 1904, was major flooding, 10.60 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Delaware River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
30.60 ft
March 8, 1904
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 25.0 ft
Crests at major
5
23rd of 125 gauges in New Jersey
Most recent flood crest
September 3, 2021
20.76 ft, minor flooding
Location
Mercer County
Near Trenton (0.8 mi), Burlington (10.6 mi), Princeton (11.1 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Delaware River at Trenton
Action stage17.07Jan 15, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.015Sep 3, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage23.03Sep 19, 2004Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage25.05Jun 29, 2006Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

33 crests from 1902 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Delaware River at Trenton, 1902 to 2021 1520253035ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 25.0 ft Mar 2, 1902: 23.60 ft, moderate flooding; 214,000 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1903: 28.50 ft, major flooding; 295,000 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1904: 30.60 ft, major floodingMar 28, 1913: 21.10 ft, minor flooding; 160,000 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1914: 20.20 ft, minor flooding; 143,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1925: 20.80 ft, minor flooding; 154,000 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 1933: 20.43 ft, minor flooding; 147,000 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1936: 24.43 ft, moderate flooding; 227,000 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1940: 20.62 ft, minor flooding; 151,600 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1942: 21.12 ft, minor flooding; 161,200 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 1952: 20.07 ft, minor flooding; 139,000 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1955: 28.60 ft, major flooding; 329,000 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1972: 17.86 ft, action stageJun 30, 1973: 19.78 ft, action stage; 135,000 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1984: 20.64 ft, minor flooding; 152,000 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1986: 20.22 ft, minor flooding; 140,000 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1996: 22.20 ft, minor flooding; 179,000 cubic feet per secondNov 10, 1996: 17.02 ft, action stageDec 3, 1996: 17.88 ft, action stage; 101,000 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1998: 15.67 ft, below flood stage; 69,500 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 2003: 16.79 ft, below flood stage; 85,000 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2004: 23.41 ft, moderate flooding; 201,000 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2005: 25.33 ft, major flooding; 242,000 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 2006: 17.23 ft, action stage; 91,400 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2006: 25.09 ft, major flooding; 237,000 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 2010: 17.85 ft, action stageMar 12, 2011: 20.59 ft, minor flooding; 147,800 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 2011: 20.49 ft, minor flooding; 146,000 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2011: 22.16 ft, minor flooding; 176,600 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2014: 20.76 ft, minor flooding; 150,200 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2014: 16.46 ft, below flood stage; 80,240 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 2018: 19.93 ft, action stageSep 3, 2021: 20.76 ft, minor flooding; 150,359 cubic feet per second Highest, 30.60 ft, Mar 8, 1904 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Delaware River at Trenton 1900s: 3 1910s: 2 1920s: 1 1930s: 2 1940s: 2 1950s: 2 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 2 1990s: 1 2000s: 3 2010s: 4 4 2020s: 1 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Delaware River at Trenton
1Mar 8, 190430.60+10.60Major—
2Aug 20, 195528.60+8.60Major329,000
3Oct 11, 190328.50+8.50Major295,000
4Apr 4, 200525.33+5.33Major242,000
5Jun 29, 200625.09+5.09Major237,000
6Mar 19, 193624.43+4.43Moderate227,000
7Mar 2, 190223.60+3.60Moderate214,000
8Sep 19, 200423.41+3.41Moderate201,000
9Jan 20, 199622.20+2.20Minor179,000
10Sep 9, 201122.16+2.16Minor176,600
11May 24, 194221.12+1.12Minor161,200
12Mar 28, 191321.10+1.10Minor160,000
13Feb 13, 192520.80+0.80Minor154,000
14Jan 9, 201420.76+0.76Minor150,200
15Sep 3, 202120.76+0.76Minor150,359
16May 30, 198420.64+0.64Minor152,000
17Apr 1, 194020.62+0.62Minor151,600
18Mar 12, 201120.59+0.59Minor147,800
19Aug 29, 201120.49+0.49Minor146,000
20Aug 25, 193320.43+0.43Minor147,000
21Mar 16, 198620.22+0.22Minor140,000
22Mar 29, 191420.20+0.20Minor143,000
23Dec 12, 195220.07+0.07Minor139,000
24Jan 15, 201819.93−0.07Action—
25Jun 30, 197319.78−0.22Action135,000
26Dec 3, 199617.88−2.12Action101,000
27Jun 23, 197217.86−2.14Action—
28Oct 2, 201017.85−2.15Action—
29Jan 20, 200617.23−2.77Action91,400
30Nov 10, 199617.02−2.98Action—
31Oct 30, 200316.79−3.21Below flood stage85,000
32May 1, 201416.46−3.54Below flood stage80,240
33May 12, 199815.67−4.33Below flood stage69,500

The worst floods along the Delaware River

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

March 8, 1904: 30.60 ft here, major flooding

August 20, 1955: 28.60 ft here, major flooding

  • EastonPA · Aug 19, 1955 · 44.40 ft · Major · its highest
  • RiegelsvilleNJ · Aug 20, 1955 · 38.85 ft · Major · its highest
  • Tocks IslandNJ · Aug 19, 1955 · 37.40 ft · Major · its highest
  • MontaguePA · Aug 19, 1955 · 35.15 ft · Major · its highest
  • StocktonPA · Aug 20, 1955 · 30.44 ft · Major · its highest
  • BelvidereNJ · Aug 19, 1955 · 30.21 ft · Major · its highest
  • FrenchtownNJ · Aug 20, 1955 · 27.79 ft · Major · its highest
  • Washington CrossingPA · Aug 20, 1955 · 27.77 ft · Major · its highest
  • BarryvilleNY · Aug 19, 1955 · 26.40 ft · Major
  • New Hope-Lambertville BridgePA · Aug 20, 1955 · 24.16 ft · Major · its highest

October 11, 1903: 28.50 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Delaware River

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

Flood gauges on the Delaware River
BarryvilleNY17.028.97 ft, Jun 28, 20062
BelvidereNJ22.030.21 ft, Aug 19, 19555
Bridesburg (IN MLLW)PA8.510.99 ft, Jan 10, 20242
Burlington (IN MLLW)PA9.311.99 ft, Jan 10, 20247
CallicoonPA12.020.38 ft, Jun 28, 20065
Delaware City (IN MLLW)DE7.59.73 ft, Oct 30, 20122
EastonPA22.044.40 ft, Aug 19, 19557
FrenchtownNJ16.027.79 ft, Aug 20, 19557
LordvillePA20.028.87 ft, Jun 28, 20061
Marcus Hook (IN MLLW)PA7.710.14 ft, Oct 30, 20124
Matamoras/Port JervisPA18.026.60 ft, Feb 12, 19814
MontaguePA25.035.15 ft, Aug 19, 19554
New Hope-Lambertville BridgePA13.024.16 ft, Aug 20, 19558
Newbold Island (IN MLLW)PA10.213.22 ft, Sep 1, 20217
RiegelsvilleNJ22.038.85 ft, Aug 20, 19556
StocktonPA18.030.44 ft, Aug 20, 19555
Tocks IslandNJ21.037.40 ft, Aug 19, 19555
Trenton this gaugeNJ20.030.60 ft, Mar 8, 19045
USCG Station Washington Street (IN MLLW)PA8.210.66 ft, Jan 10, 20246
Washington CrossingPA16.027.77 ft, Aug 20, 19554

Other gauges in Mercer County

Flood gauges in Mercer County
Clarksville8.010.90 ft, Aug 28, 19710
Trenton8.515.12 ft, Aug 28, 20119
Mercerville9.515.82 ft, Sep 2, 20212
Extonville12.017.10 ft, Aug 28, 20110
Princeton9.016.23 ft, Aug 28, 20113

Mercer County: every hazard · River floods across the country · New Jersey

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge TREN4, 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.