How high is the Tar River at Us 401 at Louisburg, NC right now?

The Tar River at Us 401 at Louisburg, NC is currently flowing at 39 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 3.78 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Tar River at Us 401 at Louisburg, NC normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as very low for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 10th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Tar River at Us 401 at Louisburg, NC at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 16.22 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 20.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Tar River at Us 401 at Louisburg, NC on June 11?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 120 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 40 to 1,320 cfs.

Where is the Tar River at Us 401 at Louisburg, NC stream gauge located?

The Tar River at Us 401 at Louisburg, NC stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Franklin County, NC on the Tar River. USGS site number 02081747 (coordinates 36.0931, -78.2961).

Tar River at Us 401 at Louisburg, NC

USGS Site No: 02081747 • Tar River • Franklin County, NC

Tar River at Us 401 at Louisburg, NC on the Tar River is currently at 39 cfs (Very Low — 10th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 3.78 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

↑ Upstream on Tar River

Tar River Near Tar River, NC

Downstream on Tar River ↓

Tar River at NC-581 Near Spring Hope, NC

CFS Discharge

3.78

Gage Height (ft)

Very 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	40	Today: 39 cfs
25th	Low threshold	62
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	120
75th	High threshold	226
95th	Very High threshold	1,320

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	41	3.79
May 27, 2026	45	3.85
May 26, 2026	48	3.88
May 25, 2026	47	3.87
May 24, 2026	63	4.03
May 23, 2026	109	4.42
May 22, 2026	68	4.03
May 21, 2026	16	3.44
May 20, 2026	18	3.47
May 19, 2026	19	3.49
May 18, 2026	21	3.52
May 17, 2026	24	3.56
May 16, 2026	25	3.59
May 15, 2026	27	3.62
Apr 21, 2026	41	3.66
Apr 20, 2026	42	3.68
Apr 19, 2026	45	3.73
Apr 18, 2026	46	3.74
Apr 17, 2026	48	3.77
Apr 16, 2026	52	3.82
Apr 15, 2026	53	3.83
Apr 14, 2026	56	3.86
Apr 13, 2026	58	3.89
Apr 12, 2026	60	3.91
Apr 11, 2026	62	3.93
Apr 10, 2026	62	3.94
Apr 9, 2026	64	3.97
Apr 8, 2026	70	4.03
Apr 7, 2026	77	4.11
Apr 6, 2026	87	4.20

Station Information

USGS Site No: 02081747
State: NC
County: Franklin County
Coordinates: 36.0931, -78.2961
Drainage Area: 427 mi²
Datum (ft): 175.6
HUC Code: 03020101

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 20.0 ft
Flood Stage: 20.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 22.0 ft
Major Flood: 23.0 ft

Currently 16.22 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 3,440 cfs

Aug 13, 2025
Min discharge: 16 cfs

May 21, 2026
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Tar River Near Tar River, NC
17.5 mi · 3 cfs

Very Low
Tar River at NC-581 Near Spring Hope, NC
18.6 mi · 63 cfs

Very Low
Little River Near Zebulon, NC
19.0 mi · 1 cfs

Very Low
Neuse River Near Falls, NC
19.1 mi · 104 cfs

Very Low
Little Fishing Creek Near White Oak, NC
24.3 mi · 40 cfs

Normal