How high is the Des Plaines River Near Des Plaines, IL right now?

The Des Plaines River Near Des Plaines, IL is currently flowing at 286 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 8.08 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Des Plaines River Near Des Plaines, IL normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as normal for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 57th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Des Plaines River Near Des Plaines, IL at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 6.92 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 15.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Des Plaines River Near Des Plaines, IL on June 11?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 211 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 42 to 1,580 cfs.

Where is the Des Plaines River Near Des Plaines, IL stream gauge located?

The Des Plaines River Near Des Plaines, IL stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Cook County, IL on the Des Plaines River. USGS site number 05529000 (coordinates 42.0872, -87.8872).

Des Plaines River Near Des Plaines, IL

USGS Site No: 05529000 • Des Plaines River • Cook County, IL

Des Plaines River Near Des Plaines, IL on the Des Plaines River is currently at 286 cfs (Normal — 57th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 8.08 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

↑ Upstream on Des Plaines River

Des Plaines River at Lincolnshire, IL

Downstream on Des Plaines River ↓

Des Plaines River at Algonquin Road at Des Plaines, IL

286

CFS Discharge

8.08

Gage Height (ft)

Normal

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	Today's Flow
10th	Very Low threshold	42
25th	Low threshold	87
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	211
75th	High threshold	478	Today: 286 cfs
95th	Very High threshold	1,580

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	307	8.16
May 27, 2026	335	8.26
May 26, 2026	358	8.34
May 25, 2026	419	8.57
May 24, 2026	386	8.46
May 23, 2026	268	8.01
May 22, 2026	278	8.05
May 21, 2026	292	8.10
May 20, 2026	304	8.15
May 19, 2026	325	8.22
May 18, 2026	335	8.26
May 17, 2026	314	8.18
May 16, 2026	311	8.17
May 15, 2026	314	8.18
Apr 20, 2026	3,930	17.96
Apr 19, 2026	3,850	17.81
Apr 18, 2026	3,550	17.27
Apr 17, 2026	2,930	16.16
Apr 16, 2026	2,700	15.74
Apr 15, 2026	2,320	14.90
Apr 14, 2026	1,420	12.32
Apr 13, 2026	1,490	12.57
Apr 12, 2026	1,640	13.06
Apr 11, 2026	1,830	13.66
Apr 10, 2026	1,920	13.96
Apr 9, 2026	1,860	13.85
Apr 8, 2026	1,830	13.80
Apr 7, 2026	1,790	13.71
Apr 6, 2026	1,750	13.63
Apr 5, 2026	1,710	13.56

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05529000
State: IL
County: Cook County
Coordinates: 42.0872, -87.8872
Drainage Area: 360 mi²
Datum (ft): 616.2
HUC Code: 07120004

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 13.5 ft
Flood Stage: 15.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 18.0 ft
Major Flood: 19.0 ft

Currently 6.92 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 3,930 cfs

Apr 20, 2026
Min discharge: 48 cfs

Oct 5, 2025
Days at flood stage: 5

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Mc Donald Creek Near Mount Prospect, IL
1.4 mi · 2 cfs

Normal
Weller Creek at Des Plaines, IL
3.1 mi · 1 cfs

Normal
Des Plaines River at Algonquin Road at Des Plaines, IL
3.9 mi · 17 cfs

Low
Wf Of Nb Chicago River at Northbrook IL
4.4 mi · 5 cfs

Normal
North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL
5.7 mi · 3 cfs

Normal