How high is the Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines, IA right now?

The Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines, IA is currently flowing at 2,580 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 4.86 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines, IA normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as high for October 28. Today's discharge is at the 80th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines, IA at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 7.14 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 12.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines, IA on October 28?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 688 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 104 to 4,250 cfs.

Where is the Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines, IA stream gauge located?

The Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines, IA stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Polk County, IA on the Raccoon River. USGS site number 05484900 (coordinates 41.5815, -93.6427).

Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines, IA

USGS Site No: 05484900 • Raccoon River • Polk County, IA

Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines, IA on the Raccoon River is currently at 2,580 cfs (High — 80th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 4.86 ft.

Reading from 4 months ago

↑ Upstream on Raccoon River

Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des Moines, IA

2,580

CFS Discharge

4.86

Gage Height (ft)

High

Flow Condition

Normal

Flood Status

Historical Percentile Comparison

Today's discharge compared to the long-term record for October 28 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	104
25th	Low threshold	183
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	688
75th	High threshold	2,030
95th	Very High threshold	4,250	Today: 2,580 cfs

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	2,770	—
May 27, 2026	3,080	—
May 26, 2026	3,090	—
May 25, 2026	2,600	—
May 24, 2026	2,500	—
May 23, 2026	2,630	—
May 22, 2026	2,770	—
May 21, 2026	2,960	—
May 20, 2026	2,960	—
May 19, 2026	3,030	—
May 18, 2026	1,980	—
May 17, 2026	1,610	—
May 16, 2026	1,490	—
May 15, 2026	1,240	—
Apr 20, 2026	3,800	—
Apr 19, 2026	4,380	—
Apr 18, 2026	5,550	—
Apr 17, 2026	5,440	—
Apr 16, 2026	5,350	—
Apr 15, 2026	6,000	—
Apr 14, 2026	5,100	—
Apr 13, 2026	5,750	—
Apr 12, 2026	6,510	—
Apr 11, 2026	8,720	—
Apr 10, 2026	9,490	—
Apr 9, 2026	7,020	—
Apr 8, 2026	7,940	—
Apr 7, 2026	10,200	—
Apr 6, 2026	11,100	—
Apr 5, 2026	10,300	—

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05484900
State: IA
County: Polk County
Coordinates: 41.5815, -93.6427
Drainage Area: 3,625 mi²
Datum (ft): 780.5
HUC Code: 07100006

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 8.0 ft
Flood Stage: 12.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 16.0 ft
Major Flood: 25.0 ft

Currently 7.14 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 13,800 cfs

Jul 31, 2025
Min discharge: 406 cfs

Jan 20, 2026
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Des Moines River below Raccoon Riv at Des Moines, IA
1.9 mi · 8,630 cfs

High
Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des Moines, IA
2.4 mi · 5,520 cfs

High
Walnut Creek at Des Moines, IA
3.2 mi · 37 cfs

Normal
Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des Moines, IA
3.4 mi · 2,700 cfs

High
Fourmile Creek at Des Moines, IA
5.5 mi · 57 cfs

Normal