How high is the North Branch Chicago River at Niles, IL right now?

The North Branch Chicago River at Niles, IL is currently flowing at 38 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 0.91 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the North Branch Chicago River at Niles, IL normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as normal for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 29th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the North Branch Chicago River at Niles, IL at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 9.09 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 10.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the North Branch Chicago River at Niles, IL on June 11?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 65 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 25 to 582 cfs.

Where is the North Branch Chicago River at Niles, IL stream gauge located?

The North Branch Chicago River at Niles, IL stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Cook County, IL on the North Branch Chicago River. USGS site number 05536000 (coordinates 42.0122, -87.7958).

North Branch Chicago River at Niles, IL

USGS Site No: 05536000 • North Branch Chicago River • Cook County, IL

North Branch Chicago River at Niles, IL on the North Branch Chicago River is currently at 38 cfs (Normal — 29th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 0.91 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

↑ Upstream on North Branch Chicago River

North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL

CFS Discharge

0.91

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	25
25th	Low threshold	33
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	65	Today: 38 cfs
75th	High threshold	144
95th	Very High threshold	582

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	47	1.02
May 27, 2026	60	1.17
May 26, 2026	82	1.38
May 25, 2026	124	1.74
May 24, 2026	106	1.56
May 23, 2026	37	0.89
May 22, 2026	33	0.84
May 21, 2026	34	0.85
May 20, 2026	46	1.01
May 19, 2026	80	1.35
May 18, 2026	42	0.94
May 17, 2026	34	0.86
May 16, 2026	36	0.89
May 15, 2026	33	0.84
Apr 20, 2026	670	5.03
Apr 19, 2026	861	6.21
Apr 18, 2026	854	6.16
Apr 17, 2026	771	5.66
Apr 16, 2026	930	6.60
Apr 15, 2026	995	6.93
Apr 14, 2026	177	2.23
Apr 13, 2026	102	1.68
Apr 12, 2026	104	1.70
Apr 11, 2026	138	2.01
Apr 10, 2026	166	2.25
Apr 9, 2026	135	1.98
Apr 8, 2026	176	2.33
Apr 7, 2026	250	2.89
Apr 6, 2026	361	3.64
Apr 5, 2026	483	4.39

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05536000
State: IL
County: Cook County
Coordinates: 42.0122, -87.7958
Drainage Area: 100 mi²
Datum (ft): 601.5
HUC Code: 07120003

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 7.0 ft
Flood Stage: 10.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 11.0 ft
Major Flood: 12.0 ft

Currently 9.09 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 995 cfs

Apr 15, 2026
Min discharge: 17 cfs

Jan 27, 2026
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

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

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

Low
Weller Creek at Des Plaines, IL
6.8 mi · 1 cfs

Normal
Des Plaines River Near Des Plaines, IL
7.0 mi · 286 cfs

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

Normal