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Goose Creek near Leesburg

Highest listed crest 30.59 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft71 crests since 1889

The Goose Creek near Leesburg crested at major flood stage 18 times among the 71 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1889 to 2024. The highest, 30.59 ft on June 22, 1972, was major flooding, 18.59 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Goose Creek crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
30.59 ft
June 22, 1972; 78,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
18
2nd of 242 gauges in Virginia
Most recent flood crest
January 10, 2024
12.62 ft, minor flooding
Location
Loudoun County
Near Leesburg (6.1 mi), Herndon (10.8 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Goose Creek near Leesburg
Action stage10.014Feb 4, 2016The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.029Jan 10, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.010May 16, 2014Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.018Jan 31, 2013Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

71 crests from 1889 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Goose Creek near Leesburg, 1889 to 2024 101520253035ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Jun 1, 1889: 29.00 ft, major flooding; 45,000 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 1912: 20.00 ft, major flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1932: 18.45 ft, major flooding; 9,650 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 1933: 21.60 ft, major flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 1934: 15.00 ft, moderate flooding; 7,010 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1936: 13.61 ft, minor flooding; 6,010 cubic feet per secondAug 26, 1937: 26.86 ft, major flooding; 35,600 cubic feet per secondOct 28, 1937: 17.00 ft, moderate flooding; 8,530 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1942: 22.90 ft, major flooding; 35,600 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 1945: 14.56 ft, minor flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1945: 18.00 ft, major flooding; 18,500 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1946: 11.53 ft, action stage; 7,440 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1950: 10.82 ft, action stage; 6,880 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1950: 18.25 ft, major flooding; 18,600 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1952: 14.30 ft, minor flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondNov 22, 1952: 12.13 ft, minor flooding; 8,840 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1955: 11.58 ft, action stage; 8,320 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1956: 20.90 ft, major flooding; 27,600 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1958: 12.50 ft, minor flooding; 9,280 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1964: 10.78 ft, action stage; 6,580 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1965: 12.48 ft, minor flooding; 8,600 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 1967: 14.00 ft, minor flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1968: 12.35 ft, minor flooding; 8,470 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 1970: 12.26 ft, minor flooding; 8,380 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1972: 30.59 ft, major flooding; 78,100 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1972: 13.08 ft, minor flooding; 9,230 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1974: 18.84 ft, major flooding; 20,300 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 1975: 13.85 ft, minor flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1976: 13.32 ft, minor flooding; 9,490 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1976: 25.74 ft, major flooding; 48,700 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 14.94 ft, minor flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1979: 16.36 ft, moderate flooding; 14,300 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1979: 12.56 ft, minor flooding; 8,740 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1979: 10.14 ft, action stage; 6,580 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1982: 10.21 ft, action stage; 6,640 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1983: 14.86 ft, minor flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1984: 16.36 ft, moderate flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1985: 15.88 ft, moderate flooding; 13,100 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1990: 13.46 ft, minor flooding; 9,770 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1991: 11.99 ft, action stage; 8,120 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 1992: 19.04 ft, major flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1993: 16.52 ft, moderate flooding; 14,300 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1993: 11.85 ft, action stage; 8,000 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1996: 20.11 ft, major flooding; 24,400 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1996: 15.91 ft, moderate flooding; 13,200 cubic feet per secondDec 13, 1996: 11.87 ft, action stage; 8,010 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1998: 14.02 ft, minor flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1998: 12.26 ft, minor flooding; 8,390 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1998: 17.43 ft, moderate flooding; 16,500 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1999: 10.95 ft, action stage; 7,240 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2003: 11.76 ft, action stageSep 23, 2003: 23.32 ft, major flooding; 36,900 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 2003: 17.31 ft, moderate floodingJul 8, 2005: 14.34 ft, minor floodingFeb 22, 2007: 11.49 ft, action stage; 7,690 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2008: 18.90 ft, major flooding; 20,500 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2010: 12.03 ft, minor flooding; 8,159 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2010: 13.08 ft, minor flooding; 9,280 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2011: 11.60 ft, action stage; 7,790 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2011: 14.48 ft, minor flooding; 11,100 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 2012: 19.82 ft, major flooding; 22,980 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 2013: 18.24 ft, major flooding; 15,280 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2014: 14.07 ft, minor flooding; 9,320 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2014: 15.58 ft, moderate flooding; 10,980 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 2015: 12.15 ft, minor flooding; 7,594 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 2016: 11.50 ft, action stage; 7,110 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2018: 12.60 ft, minor flooding; 7,911 cubic feet per secondDec 16, 2018: 14.75 ft, minor flooding; 11,386 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2019: 14.17 ft, minor flooding; 10,542 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 2022: 12.29 ft, minor flooding; 8,435 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 12.62 ft, minor flooding; 8,786 cubic feet per second Highest, 30.59 ft, Jun 22, 1972 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Goose Creek near Leesburg 1880s: 1 1890s: 0 1900s: 0 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 6 1940s: 3 1950s: 5 1960s: 3 1970s: 10 1980s: 3 1990s: 8 2000s: 4 2010s: 11 11 2020s: 2 1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
  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 71 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Goose Creek near Leesburg
1Jun 22, 197230.59+18.59Major78,100
2Jun 1, 188929.00+17.00Major45,000
3Aug 26, 193726.86+14.86Major35,600
4Oct 9, 197625.74+13.74Major48,700
5Sep 23, 200323.32+11.32Major36,900
6Oct 16, 194222.90+10.90Major35,600
7Aug 23, 193321.60+9.60Major17,000
8Jul 21, 195620.90+8.90Major27,600
9Jan 20, 199620.11+8.11Major24,400
10Sep 24, 191220.00+8.00Major13,000
11Oct 30, 201219.82+7.82Major22,980
12Dec 11, 199219.04+7.04Major21,000
13May 12, 200818.90+6.90Major20,500
14Dec 2, 197418.84+6.84Major20,300
15May 13, 193218.45+6.45Major9,650
16Dec 4, 195018.25+6.25Major18,600
17Jan 31, 201318.24+6.24Major15,280
18Sep 18, 194518.00+6.00Major18,500
19Mar 21, 199817.43+5.43Moderate16,500
20Dec 11, 200317.31+5.31Moderate—
21Oct 28, 193717.00+5.00Moderate8,530
22Mar 5, 199316.52+4.52Moderate14,300
23Feb 26, 197916.36+4.36Moderate14,300
24Feb 15, 198416.36+4.36Moderate14,000
25Sep 7, 199615.91+3.91Moderate13,200
26Feb 12, 198515.88+3.88Moderate13,100
27May 16, 201415.58+3.58Moderate10,980
28Dec 1, 193415.00+3.00Moderate7,010
29Jan 26, 197814.94+2.94Minor11,700
30Apr 10, 198314.86+2.86Minor11,500
31Dec 16, 201814.75+2.75Minor11,386
32Aug 1, 194514.56+2.56Minor10,600
33Apr 17, 201114.48+2.48Minor11,100
34Jul 8, 200514.34+2.34Minor—
35Apr 28, 195214.30+2.30Minor11,700
36Mar 22, 201914.17+2.17Minor10,542
37May 1, 201414.07+2.07Minor9,320
38Jan 29, 199814.02+2.02Minor10,300
39Aug 25, 196714.00+2.00Minor10,300
40Sep 25, 197513.85+1.85Minor10,100
41Mar 17, 193613.61+1.61Minor6,010
42Jan 25, 199013.46+1.46Minor9,770
43Jan 1, 197613.32+1.32Minor9,490
44Jun 30, 197213.08+1.08Minor9,230
45Mar 13, 201013.08+1.08Minor9,280
46Jan 10, 202412.62+0.62Minor8,786
47Sep 28, 201812.60+0.60Minor7,911
48Jun 4, 197912.56+0.56Minor8,740
49Jan 14, 195812.50+0.50Minor9,280
50Mar 5, 196512.48+0.48Minor8,600

The worst floods along the Goose Creek

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

June 22, 1972: 30.59 ft here, major flooding

  • MiddleburgVA · Jun 22, 1972 · 27.46 ft · Major · its highest

October 9, 1976: 25.74 ft here, major flooding

September 23, 2003: 23.32 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Goose Creek

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

Flood gauges on the Goose Creek
MiddleburgVA13.027.46 ft, Jun 22, 19725
Leesburg this gaugeVA12.030.59 ft, Jun 22, 197218

Other gauges in Loudoun County

Flood gauges in Loudoun County
Mountville10.017.00 ft, Sep 23, 20030
Sterling12.013.29 ft, May 12, 20080
Taylorstown12.025.61 ft, Jun 22, 19721
Middleburg13.027.46 ft, Jun 22, 19725
Leesburg7.011.19 ft, Sep 23, 20031
Waterford10.010.97 ft, Sep 28, 20040
Lincoln10.013.45 ft, Sep 23, 20030
Waterford8.012.10 ft, Sep 23, 20030

Loudoun County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Virginia

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LEEV2, 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.