How high is the Poplar Creek at Elgin, IL right now?

The Poplar Creek at Elgin, IL is currently flowing at 5 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 1.10 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Poplar Creek at Elgin, IL normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as low for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 22th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Poplar Creek at Elgin, IL at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 4.40 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 5.5 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Poplar Creek at Elgin, IL on June 11?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 14 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 2 to 168 cfs.

Where is the Poplar Creek at Elgin, IL stream gauge located?

The Poplar Creek at Elgin, IL stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Cook County, IL on the Poplar Creek. USGS site number 05550500 (coordinates 42.0259, -88.2557).

Poplar Creek at Elgin, IL

USGS Site No: 05550500 • Poplar Creek • Cook County, IL

Poplar Creek at Elgin, IL on the Poplar Creek is currently at 5 cfs (Low — 22th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 1.10 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

CFS Discharge

1.10

Gage Height (ft)

Low

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	2
25th	Low threshold	6	Today: 5 cfs
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	14
75th	High threshold	39
95th	Very High threshold	168

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	7	1.14
May 27, 2026	8	1.20
May 26, 2026	11	1.28
May 25, 2026	16	1.38
May 24, 2026	13	1.30
May 23, 2026	6	1.11
May 22, 2026	6	1.12
May 21, 2026	7	1.15
May 20, 2026	8	1.18
May 19, 2026	9	1.21
May 18, 2026	7	1.16
May 17, 2026	6	1.14
May 16, 2026	7	1.14
May 15, 2026	7	1.16
Apr 20, 2026	128	2.40
Apr 19, 2026	222	2.92
Apr 18, 2026	345	3.47
Apr 17, 2026	300	3.28
Apr 16, 2026	496	4.08
Apr 15, 2026	467	3.96
Apr 14, 2026	48	1.91
Apr 13, 2026	36	1.83
Apr 12, 2026	29	1.76
Apr 11, 2026	37	1.84
Apr 10, 2026	45	1.91
Apr 9, 2026	35	1.82
Apr 8, 2026	47	1.93
Apr 7, 2026	71	2.10
Apr 6, 2026	115	2.32
Apr 5, 2026	167	2.63

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05550500
State: IL
County: Cook County
Coordinates: 42.0259, -88.2557
Drainage Area: 35 mi²
Datum (ft): 715.8
HUC Code: 07120006

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 5.0 ft
Flood Stage: 5.5 ft
Moderate Flood: 6.5 ft
Major Flood: 8.0 ft

Currently 4.40 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 496 cfs

Apr 16, 2026
Min discharge: 0 cfs

Oct 6, 2025
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Salt Creek at Rolling Meadows, IL
12.5 mi · 8 cfs

Normal
Salt Creek at Elk Grove Village, IL
13.1 mi · 43 cfs

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

Normal
Buffalo Creek Near Wheeling, IL
17.6 mi · 8 cfs

Normal
Salt Creek at Elmhurst, IL
18.0 mi · 61 cfs

Normal