How high is the Roanoke River at Altavista, VA right now?

The Roanoke River at Altavista, VA is currently flowing at 553 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 1.66 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Roanoke River at Altavista, VA normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as low for October 27. Today's discharge is at the 12th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Roanoke River at Altavista, VA at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 16.34 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 18.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Roanoke River at Altavista, VA on October 27?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 852 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 526 to 3,610 cfs.

Where is the Roanoke River at Altavista, VA stream gauge located?

The Roanoke River at Altavista, VA stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Pittsylvania County, VA on the Roanoke River. USGS site number 02060500 (coordinates 37.1057, -79.2856).

Roanoke River at Altavista, VA

USGS Site No: 02060500 • Roanoke River • Pittsylvania County, VA

Roanoke River at Altavista, VA on the Roanoke River is currently at 553 cfs (Low — 12th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 1.66 ft.

Reading from 4 months ago

↑ Upstream on Roanoke River

Roanoke River at Niagara, VA

Downstream on Roanoke River ↓

Roanoke River at Buggs Island, VA

553

CFS Discharge

1.66

Gage Height (ft)

Low

Flow Condition

Normal

Flood Status

Historical Percentile Comparison

Today's discharge compared to the long-term record for October 27 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	526
25th	Low threshold	719	Today: 553 cfs
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	852
75th	High threshold	1,320
95th	Very High threshold	3,610

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	624	—
May 27, 2026	842	—
May 26, 2026	928	—
May 25, 2026	889	—
May 24, 2026	871	—
May 23, 2026	867	—
May 22, 2026	883	—
May 21, 2026	927	—
May 20, 2026	1,090	—
May 19, 2026	977	—
May 18, 2026	1,100	—
May 17, 2026	1,190	—
May 16, 2026	1,090	—
May 15, 2026	953	—
Apr 21, 2026	1,620	—
Apr 20, 2026	1,560	—
Apr 19, 2026	1,550	—
Apr 18, 2026	1,330	—
Apr 17, 2026	1,290	—
Apr 16, 2026	1,300	—
Apr 15, 2026	1,380	—
Apr 14, 2026	1,640	—
Apr 13, 2026	1,630	—
Apr 12, 2026	1,530	—
Apr 11, 2026	1,320	—
Apr 10, 2026	1,290	—
Apr 9, 2026	1,180	—
Apr 8, 2026	1,260	—
Apr 7, 2026	1,520	—
Apr 6, 2026	1,590	—

Station Information

USGS Site No: 02060500
State: VA
County: Pittsylvania County
Coordinates: 37.1057, -79.2856
Drainage Area: 1,782 mi²
Datum (ft): 502.3
HUC Code: 03010101

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 16.0 ft
Flood Stage: 18.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 24.0 ft
Major Flood: 29.0 ft

Currently 16.34 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 9,940 cfs

May 14, 2025
Min discharge: 459 cfs

Oct 4, 2025
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Big Otter River Near Evington, VA
7.2 mi · 104 cfs

Normal
Goose Creek Near Huddleston, VA
13.7 mi · 56 cfs

Normal
Pigg River Near Sandy Level, VA
17.2 mi · 212 cfs

Normal
Falling River Near Naruna, VA
18.0 mi · 59 cfs

Normal
Roanoke (staunton) River at Brookneal, VA
19.3 mi · 797 cfs

Normal