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Rapidan River near Culpeper

Highest listed crest 30.40 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft65 crests since 1932

The Rapidan River near Culpeper crested at major flood stage 9 times among the 65 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1932 to 2025. The highest, 30.40 ft on June 28, 1995, was major flooding, 17.40 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Rapidan River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
30.40 ft
June 28, 1995; 59,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 21.0 ft
Crests at major
9
18th of 242 gauges in Virginia
Most recent flood crest
May 14, 2025
15.58 ft, minor flooding
Location
Culpeper County
Near Culpeper (8.4 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Rapidan River near Culpeper
Action stage11.03Mar 11, 2011The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.034May 14, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.019May 17, 2014Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage21.09Jun 23, 2018Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

65 crests from 1932 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Rapidan River near Culpeper, 1932 to 2025 101520253035ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 21.0 ft Oct 18, 1932: 15.72 ft, minor flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondNov 10, 1932: 14.90 ft, minor flooding; 10,000 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1933: 16.00 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1934: 19.53 ft, moderate flooding; 21,900 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1934: 14.77 ft, minor flooding; 9,840 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1935: 17.53 ft, moderate flooding; 15,600 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1936: 19.25 ft, moderate flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1937: 15.42 ft, minor flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1937: 28.03 ft, major flooding; 50,000 cubic feet per secondOct 20, 1937: 19.41 ft, moderate flooding; 21,600 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1940: 15.36 ft, minor flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 1942: 15.58 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1942: 30.30 ft, major flooding; 58,100 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1944: 14.56 ft, minor flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 1947: 14.10 ft, minor flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1948: 15.62 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondDec 5, 1950: 17.10 ft, moderate flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1955: 24.31 ft, major flooding; 33,800 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1972: 29.53 ft, major flooding; 55,600 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 1972: 26.23 ft, major flooding; 42,400 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1973: 15.20 ft, minor flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1975: 17.26 ft, moderate flooding; 14,500 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1976: 17.50 ft, moderate flooding; 15,000 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 17.47 ft, moderate flooding; 14,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1979: 15.41 ft, minor flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1979: 18.79 ft, moderate floodingSep 22, 1979: 17.28 ft, moderate floodingOct 2, 1979: 14.78 ft, minor flooding; 11,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1984: 18.24 ft, moderate floodingMar 29, 1984: 15.98 ft, minor flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1985: 22.52 ft, major flooding; 28,500 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1987: 15.97 ft, minor flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 1987: 17.77 ft, moderate flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1989: 18.19 ft, moderate flooding; 16,300 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1990: 14.40 ft, minor flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 1992: 14.38 ft, minor flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1993: 18.91 ft, moderate flooding; 17,800 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1993: 14.59 ft, minor flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1995: 30.40 ft, major flooding; 59,300 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1996: 18.22 ft, moderate flooding; 19,400 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1996: 27.49 ft, major flooding; 47,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1998: 14.82 ft, minor flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1998: 17.15 ft, moderate flooding; 18,700 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1998: 14.02 ft, minor flooding; 14,200 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1998: 15.73 ft, minor flooding; 16,600 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1999: 17.53 ft, moderate flooding; 19,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2003: 14.27 ft, minor floodingSep 19, 2003: 18.51 ft, moderate flooding; 20,700 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2004: 14.06 ft, minor flooding; 14,300 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2005: 13.63 ft, minor flooding; 13,700 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 2005: 12.33 ft, action stage; 11,900 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2010: 15.43 ft, minor flooding; 16,160 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2011: 11.93 ft, action stage; 11,430 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2011: 11.65 ft, action stage; 11,050 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2011: 13.51 ft, minor floodingJan 31, 2013: 13.49 ft, minor flooding; 13,490 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2013: 14.35 ft, minor flooding; 14,650 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2013: 16.51 ft, minor flooding; 17,720 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2014: 14.75 ft, minor flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2014: 17.16 ft, moderate flooding; 18,660 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2018: 14.64 ft, minor flooding; 15,060 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2018: 23.56 ft, major flooding; 34,637 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 2018: 13.32 ft, minor flooding; 13,247 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 15.12 ft, minor flooding; 15,003 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2025: 15.58 ft, minor flooding; 16,387 cubic feet per second Highest, 30.40 ft, Jun 28, 1995 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Rapidan River near Culpeper 1930s: 10 1940s: 6 1950s: 2 1960s: 0 1970s: 10 1980s: 6 1990s: 12 12 2000s: 4 2010s: 10 2020s: 2 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

The 50 highest of 65 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Rapidan River near Culpeper
1Jun 28, 199530.40+17.40Major59,300
2Oct 16, 194230.30+17.30Major58,100
3Jun 22, 197229.53+16.53Major55,600
4Apr 26, 193728.03+15.03Major50,000
5Sep 7, 199627.49+14.49Major47,800
6Oct 6, 197226.23+13.23Major42,400
7Aug 18, 195524.31+11.31Major33,800
8Jun 23, 201823.56+10.56Major34,637
9Nov 5, 198522.52+9.52Major28,500
10Sep 17, 193419.53+6.53Moderate21,900
11Oct 20, 193719.41+6.41Moderate21,600
12Mar 18, 193619.25+6.25Moderate21,000
13Mar 5, 199318.91+5.91Moderate17,800
14Sep 6, 197918.79+5.79Moderate—
15Sep 19, 200318.51+5.51Moderate20,700
16Feb 15, 198418.24+5.24Moderate—
17Jan 20, 199618.22+5.22Moderate19,400
18May 6, 198918.19+5.19Moderate16,300
19Sep 9, 198717.77+4.77Moderate15,500
20Sep 6, 193517.53+4.53Moderate15,600
21Sep 30, 199917.53+4.53Moderate19,200
22Oct 10, 197617.50+4.50Moderate15,000
23Jan 26, 197817.47+4.47Moderate14,900
24Sep 22, 197917.28+4.28Moderate—
25Mar 20, 197517.26+4.26Moderate14,500
26May 17, 201417.16+4.16Moderate18,660
27Feb 18, 199817.15+4.15Moderate18,700
28Dec 5, 195017.10+4.10Moderate14,600
29Jun 10, 201316.51+3.51Minor17,720
30Apr 17, 193316.00+3.00Minor12,000
31Mar 29, 198415.98+2.98Minor12,600
32Apr 17, 198715.97+2.97Minor12,600
33May 8, 199815.73+2.73Minor16,600
34Oct 18, 193215.72+2.72Minor11,400
35Dec 4, 194815.62+2.62Minor12,000
36Aug 9, 194215.58+2.58Minor11,200
37May 14, 202515.58+2.58Minor16,387
38Jan 26, 201015.43+2.43Minor16,160
39Jan 21, 193715.42+2.42Minor10,400
40Feb 26, 197915.41+2.41Minor11,800
41Aug 17, 194015.36+2.36Minor10,400
42Aug 18, 197315.20+2.20Minor11,500
43Jan 10, 202415.12+2.12Minor15,003
44Nov 10, 193214.90+1.90Minor10,000
45Feb 5, 199814.82+1.82Minor15,300
46Oct 2, 197914.78+1.78Minor11,100
47Dec 2, 193414.77+1.77Minor9,840
48May 1, 201414.75+1.75Minor15,200
49Jun 1, 201814.64+1.64Minor15,060
50Nov 28, 199314.59+1.59Minor10,900

The worst floods along the Rapidan River

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

June 28, 1995: 30.40 ft here, major flooding

  • RuckersvilleVA · Jun 27, 1995 · 31.30 ft · Minor · its highest

October 16, 1942: 30.30 ft here, major flooding

June 22, 1972: 29.53 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Rapidan River

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

Flood gauges on the Rapidan River
RuckersvilleVA14.031.30 ft, Jun 27, 19950
Culpeper this gaugeVA13.030.40 ft, Jun 28, 19959

Other gauges in Culpeper County

Flood gauges in Culpeper County
Rixeyville16.031.80 ft, Oct 15, 19428

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CLPV2, 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.