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Conestoga River at Lancaster

Highest listed crest 27.90 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft42 crests since 1933

The Conestoga River at Lancaster crested at major flood stage 9 times among the 42 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1933 to 2026. The highest, 27.90 ft on June 23, 1972, was major flooding, 16.90 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
27.90 ft
June 23, 1972; 50,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
9
17th of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
August 28, 2026
11.34 ft, minor flooding
Location
Lancaster County
Near Lancaster (1.4 mi), Ephrata (10.4 mi), Columbia (11.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Conestoga River at Lancaster
Action stage9.02Jan 6, 1949The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.021Aug 28, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.010Dec 18, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.09Sep 2, 2021Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

42 crests from 1933 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Conestoga River at Lancaster, 1933 to 2026 1015202530ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 15.0 ft Aug 24, 1933: 17.52 ft, major flooding; 22,800 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 1934: 12.80 ft, minor floodingSep 30, 1934: 14.04 ft, moderate floodingMay 23, 1942: 10.95 ft, action stageAug 18, 1942: 11.60 ft, minor floodingJun 2, 1946: 12.69 ft, minor floodingJan 6, 1949: 10.95 ft, action stageAug 19, 1955: 12.11 ft, minor floodingSep 13, 1960: 11.77 ft, minor floodingFeb 14, 1971: 12.08 ft, minor floodingJun 23, 1972: 27.90 ft, major flooding; 50,300 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1973: 11.38 ft, minor floodingJan 27, 1976: 12.84 ft, minor floodingJan 25, 1978: 18.14 ft, major flooding; 25,300 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1978: 11.74 ft, minor floodingJan 21, 1979: 12.25 ft, minor floodingJan 25, 1979: 13.96 ft, moderate floodingFeb 26, 1979: 13.87 ft, moderate floodingJun 17, 1982: 14.20 ft, moderate floodingApr 16, 1983: 12.48 ft, minor floodingDec 13, 1983: 11.92 ft, minor floodingSep 7, 1984: 12.85 ft, minor floodingSep 9, 1987: 16.70 ft, major flooding; 20,500 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1988: 11.18 ft, minor floodingMay 6, 1989: 15.30 ft, major floodingDec 5, 1993: 13.78 ft, moderate floodingJan 20, 1996: 12.27 ft, minor flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1999: 16.39 ft, major flooding; 17,600 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2003: 11.70 ft, minor floodingOct 9, 2005: 17.80 ft, major flooding; 23,030 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2006: 14.70 ft, moderate floodingSep 8, 2011: 21.30 ft, major flooding; 29,699 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 2012: 14.27 ft, moderate flooding; 13,740 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 2013: 11.20 ft, minor flooding; 8,350 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2014: 11.63 ft, minor flooding; 9,038 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 2018: 14.28 ft, moderate flooding; 13,773 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 2018: 13.86 ft, moderate flooding; 12,964 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 18.49 ft, major flooding; 22,990 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 13.25 ft, moderate flooding; 11,579 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 11.90 ft, minor flooding; 8,861 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2025: 12.47 ft, minor flooding; 9,650 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2026: 11.34 ft, minor flooding; 7,246 cubic feet per second Highest, 27.90 ft, Jun 23, 1972 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Conestoga River at Lancaster 1930s: 3 1940s: 2 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 9 9 1980s: 7 1990s: 3 2000s: 3 2010s: 6 2020s: 5 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Conestoga River at Lancaster
1Jun 23, 197227.90+16.90Major50,300
2Sep 8, 201121.30+10.30Major29,699
3Sep 2, 202118.49+7.49Major22,990
4Jan 25, 197818.14+7.14Major25,300
5Oct 9, 200517.80+6.80Major23,030
6Aug 24, 193317.52+6.52Major22,800
7Sep 9, 198716.70+5.70Major20,500
8Sep 17, 199916.39+5.39Major17,600
9May 6, 198915.30+4.30Major—
10Jun 28, 200614.70+3.70Moderate—
11Aug 4, 201814.28+3.28Moderate13,773
12Oct 30, 201214.27+3.27Moderate13,740
13Jun 17, 198214.20+3.20Moderate—
14Sep 30, 193414.04+3.04Moderate—
15Jan 25, 197913.96+2.96Moderate—
16Feb 26, 197913.87+2.87Moderate—
17Aug 22, 201813.86+2.86Moderate12,964
18Dec 5, 199313.78+2.78Moderate—
19Dec 18, 202313.25+2.25Moderate11,579
20Sep 7, 198412.85+1.85Minor—
21Jan 27, 197612.84+1.84Minor—
22Jul 8, 193412.80+1.80Minor—
23Jun 2, 194612.69+1.69Minor—
24Apr 16, 198312.48+1.48Minor—
25Jul 2, 202512.47+1.47Minor9,650
26Jan 20, 199612.27+1.27Minor10,300
27Jan 21, 197912.25+1.25Minor—
28Aug 19, 195512.11+1.11Minor—
29Feb 14, 197112.08+1.08Minor—
30Dec 13, 198311.92+0.92Minor—
31Jan 10, 202411.90+0.90Minor8,861
32Sep 13, 196011.77+0.77Minor—
33Mar 27, 197811.74+0.74Minor—
34Jun 21, 200311.70+0.70Minor—
35May 1, 201411.63+0.63Minor9,038
36Aug 18, 194211.60+0.60Minor—
37Jun 29, 197311.38+0.38Minor—
38Aug 28, 202611.34+0.34Minor7,246
39Oct 12, 201311.20+0.20Minor8,350
40May 19, 198811.18+0.18Minor—
41May 23, 194210.95−0.05Action—
42Jan 6, 194910.95−0.05Action—

Other gauges in Lancaster County

Flood gauges in Lancaster County
Manheim8.09.60 ft, Sep 2, 20210
Ephrata8.011.63 ft, Aug 22, 20180
Mt. Joy12.014.40 ft, Jul 25, 20180
Marietta49.064.54 ft, Jun 23, 19729

Lancaster County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Pennsylvania

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LNCP1, 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.