How high is the Chicago River at Columbus Drive at Chicago, IL right now?

The Chicago River at Columbus Drive at Chicago, IL is currently flowing at 524 cubic feet per second with a gage height of -2.16 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Chicago River at Columbus Drive at Chicago, IL normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as very high for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 95th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Chicago River at Columbus Drive at Chicago, IL at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 5.16 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 3.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Chicago River at Columbus Drive at Chicago, IL on June 11?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 317 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 129 to unavailable cfs.

Where is the Chicago River at Columbus Drive at Chicago, IL stream gauge located?

The Chicago River at Columbus Drive at Chicago, IL stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Cook County, IL on the Chicago River. USGS site number 05536123 (coordinates 41.8884, -87.6212).

Chicago River at Columbus Drive at Chicago, IL

USGS Site No: 05536123 • Chicago River • Cook County, IL

Chicago River at Columbus Drive at Chicago, IL on the Chicago River is currently at 524 cfs (Very High — 95th percentile for this date) . Gage height: -2.16 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

524

CFS Discharge

-2.16

Gage Height (ft)

Very High

Flow Condition

Normal

Flood Status

Historical Percentile Comparison

Today's discharge compared to the long-term record for June 11 at this station. Percentile rank shows what fraction of historical years had lower flow on this date.

Percentile	Label	CFS Threshold
10th	Very Low threshold	129
25th	Low threshold	174
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	317
75th	High threshold	456
95th	Very High threshold	0

30-Day Hydrograph

Recent discharge plotted against the historical 10th–95th percentile envelope for the same calendar days. Source: USGS daily values + long-term statistics.

10th–95th historical Day-of-year median Recent discharge

30-Day Flow History

Date	Discharge (CFS)	Gage Ht (ft)
May 28, 2026	—	-1.98
May 27, 2026	—	-2.06
May 26, 2026	—	-2.06
May 25, 2026	—	-1.99
May 24, 2026	—	-2.19
May 23, 2026	—	-2.01
May 22, 2026	—	-2.12
May 21, 2026	—	-2.09
May 20, 2026	—	-2.07
May 19, 2026	—	-2.48
May 18, 2026	—	-2.47
May 17, 2026	—	-2.13
May 16, 2026	—	-2.33
May 15, 2026	—	-2.00
Apr 20, 2026	—	-1.97
Apr 19, 2026	—	-1.81
Apr 18, 2026	—	-2.55
Apr 17, 2026	—	-2.35
Apr 16, 2026	—	-2.36
Apr 15, 2026	—	-2.88
Apr 14, 2026	—	-2.59
Apr 13, 2026	—	-2.02
Apr 12, 2026	—	-2.20
Apr 11, 2026	—	-2.04
Apr 10, 2026	—	-2.54
Apr 9, 2026	—	-2.33
Apr 8, 2026	—	-1.89
Apr 7, 2026	—	-2.18
Apr 6, 2026	—	-2.05
Apr 5, 2026	—	-2.42

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05536123
State: IL
County: Cook County
Coordinates: 41.8884, -87.6212
Datum (ft): 579.2
HUC Code: 07120003

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 1.0 ft
Flood Stage: 3.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 4.0 ft
Major Flood: 5.0 ft

Currently 5.16 ft below flood stage.

Nearby Gauges

Nb Chicago River at Grand Avenue at Chicago, IL
1.1 mi · 425 cfs

Low
Nb Chicago River at North Pulaski Road at Chicago, IL
8.1 mi · 32 cfs

Normal
Des Plaines River at Riverside, IL
11.3 mi · 263 cfs

Normal
North Branch Chicago River at Niles, IL
12.4 mi · 38 cfs

Normal
Addison Creek at Bellwood, IL
12.8 mi · 4 cfs

Low