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Puyallup River at Puyallup

Highest listed crest 34.15 ftFlood stage 26.2 ft70 crests since 1915

The Puyallup River at Puyallup crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 70 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1915 to 2025. The highest, 34.15 ft on December 18, 1917, was major flooding, 7.95 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
34.15 ft
December 18, 1917; 40,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
26.2 ft
Major flooding from 31.0 ft
Crests at major
4
27th of 70 gauges in Washington
Most recent flood crest
December 9, 2025
26.33 ft, minor flooding
Location
Pierce County
Near Fife (2.0 mi), Edgewood (2.5 mi), Puyallup (2.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Puyallup River at Puyallup
Action stage24.08Nov 25, 2014The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)26.215Dec 9, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage30.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage31.04Jan 23, 1919Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

70 crests from 1915 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Puyallup River at Puyallup, 1915 to 2025 101520253035ft Flood stage 26.2 ftMajor 31.0 ft Nov 19, 1915: 29.12 ft, minor flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1915: 31.84 ft, major flooding; 22,300 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1916: 31.20 ft, major flooding; 21,100 cubic feet per secondDec 13, 1916: 28.12 ft, minor flooding; 15,000 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 1917: 34.15 ft, major flooding; 40,500 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1917: 29.93 ft, minor flooding; 30,100 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1919: 32.03 ft, major flooding; 36,500 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1920: 13.60 ft, below flood stage; 24,900 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 1921: 14.34 ft, below flood stage; 27,000 cubic feet per secondDec 13, 1921: 17.05 ft, below flood stage; 35,600 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 1923: 14.98 ft, below flood stage; 31,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1924: 12.00 ft, below flood stage; 21,700 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 1927: 13.54 ft, below flood stage; 25,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1932: 16.00 ft, below flood stage; 33,000 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 1932: 17.10 ft, below flood stage; 37,800 cubic feet per secondNov 17, 1932: 12.16 ft, below flood stage; 22,600 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1933: 18.22 ft, below flood stage; 25,300 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 1933: 11.02 ft, below flood stage; 22,900 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1933: 21.40 ft, below flood stage; 57,000 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 1933: 11.42 ft, below flood stage; 25,300 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1933: 17.88 ft, below flood stage; 45,700 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1934: 12.16 ft, below flood stage; 28,600 cubic feet per secondOct 25, 1934: 15.82 ft, below flood stage; 39,500 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1934: 12.75 ft, below flood stage; 30,400 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1935: 11.36 ft, below flood stage; 26,200 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1938: 23.64 ft, below flood stage; 33,900 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 1941: 20.48 ft, below flood stage; 22,500 cubic feet per secondNov 23, 1942: 21.56 ft, below flood stage; 25,700 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 1945: 20.23 ft, below flood stage; 21,800 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 1945: 22.14 ft, below flood stage; 23,800 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 1946: 25.78 ft, action stage; 33,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1951: 22.98 ft, below flood stage; 29,800 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 1953: 24.64 ft, action stage; 34,500 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 1955: 25.73 ft, action stage; 37,600 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1959: 20.41 ft, below flood stage; 22,600 cubic feet per secondNov 23, 1959: 25.05 ft, action stage; 35,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1961: 20.28 ft, below flood stage; 22,300 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 1962: 20.54 ft, below flood stage; 22,900 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1964: 20.27 ft, below flood stage; 22,200 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1965: 26.84 ft, minor flooding; 41,500 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 1967: 21.08 ft, below flood stage; 24,400 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 1969: 21.50 ft, below flood stage; 25,600 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1972: 21.60 ft, below flood stage; 25,800 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1974: 23.46 ft, below flood stage; 31,400 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 1975: 23.87 ft, below flood stage; 32,600 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1975: 24.60 ft, action stage; 33,300 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1977: 27.20 ft, minor flooding; 40,600 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 1980: 21.56 ft, below flood stage; 24,900 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1982: 22.78 ft, below flood stage; 28,000 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1984: 26.01 ft, action stage; 37,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1986: 24.94 ft, action stage; 34,400 cubic feet per secondNov 24, 1986: 27.74 ft, minor flooding; 43,800 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1990: 28.04 ft, minor flooding; 44,800 cubic feet per secondNov 24, 1990: 27.19 ft, minor flooding; 41,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1996: 29.77 ft, minor flooding; 46,700 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1997: 21.99 ft, below flood stage; 22,800 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1998: 22.22 ft, below flood stage; 23,900 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 1999: 22.18 ft, below flood stage; 23,500 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 2006: 28.62 ft, minor flooding; 39,487 cubic feet per secondNov 12, 2008: 26.87 ft, minor flooding; 34,286 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 2009: 29.55 ft, minor flooding; 41,837 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2010: 17.21 ft, below flood stage; 11,800 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2011: 23.15 ft, below flood stage; 27,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2012: 21.01 ft, below flood stage; 21,400 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 2013: 18.51 ft, below flood stage; 14,900 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2013: 20.90 ft, below flood stage; 21,100 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 2014: 25.34 ft, action stage; 34,200 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 2015: 27.07 ft, minor flooding; 39,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2020: 27.33 ft, minor flooding; 39,471 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 2025: 26.33 ft, minor flooding; 35,943 cubic feet per second Highest, 34.15 ft, Dec 18, 1917 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Puyallup River at Puyallup 1910s: 7 7 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 3 2000s: 3 2010s: 1 2020s: 2 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 70 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Puyallup River at Puyallup
1Dec 18, 191734.15+7.95Major40,500
2Jan 23, 191932.03+5.83Major36,500
3Dec 22, 191531.84+5.64Major22,300
4Mar 10, 191631.20+5.00Major21,100
5Dec 30, 191729.93+3.73Minor30,100
6Feb 9, 199629.77+3.57Minor46,700
7Jan 8, 200929.55+3.35Minor41,837
8Nov 19, 191529.12+2.92Minor15,200
9Nov 7, 200628.62+2.42Minor39,487
10Dec 13, 191628.12+1.92Minor15,000
11Jan 9, 199028.04+1.84Minor44,800
12Nov 24, 198627.74+1.54Minor43,800
13Feb 7, 202027.33+1.13Minor39,471
14Dec 2, 197727.20+1.00Minor40,600
15Nov 24, 199027.19+0.99Minor41,900
16Dec 9, 201527.07+0.87Minor39,800
17Nov 12, 200826.87+0.67Minor34,286
18Jan 29, 196526.84+0.64Minor41,500
19Dec 9, 202526.33+0.13Minor35,943
20Jan 25, 198426.01−0.19Action37,100
21Dec 11, 194625.78−0.42Action33,800
22Dec 12, 195525.73−0.47Action37,600
23Nov 25, 201425.34−0.86Action34,200
24Nov 23, 195925.05−1.15Action35,600
25Feb 24, 198624.94−1.26Action34,400
26Dec 9, 195324.64−1.56Action34,500
27Dec 2, 197524.60−1.60Action33,300
28Jan 18, 197523.87−2.33Below flood stage32,600
29Apr 18, 193823.64−2.56Below flood stage33,900
30Jan 15, 197423.46−2.74Below flood stage31,400
31Jan 16, 201123.15−3.05Below flood stage27,500
32Feb 11, 195122.98−3.22Below flood stage29,800
33Jan 24, 198222.78−3.42Below flood stage28,000
34Dec 30, 199822.22−3.98Below flood stage23,900
35Nov 25, 199922.18−4.02Below flood stage23,500
36Dec 29, 194522.14−4.06Below flood stage23,800
37Jan 1, 199721.99−4.21Below flood stage22,800
38Jan 21, 197221.60−4.60Below flood stage25,800
39Nov 23, 194221.56−4.64Below flood stage25,700
40Dec 26, 198021.56−4.64Below flood stage24,900
41Jan 5, 196921.50−4.70Below flood stage25,600
42Dec 10, 193321.40−4.80Below flood stage57,000
43Dec 25, 196721.08−5.12Below flood stage24,400
44Feb 22, 201221.01−5.19Below flood stage21,400
45Dec 2, 201320.90−5.30Below flood stage21,100
46Nov 20, 196220.54−5.66Below flood stage22,900
47Dec 19, 194120.48−5.72Below flood stage22,500
48Jan 24, 195920.41−5.79Below flood stage22,600
49Feb 21, 196120.28−5.92Below flood stage22,300
50Jan 25, 196420.27−5.93Below flood stage22,200

Other gauges in Pierce County

Flood gauges in Pierce County
Fairfax13.516.93 ft, Nov 6, 20066
McKenna10.017.13 ft, Feb 8, 19961

Pierce County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Washington

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PUYW1, 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.