How high is the Thorn Creek at Thornton, IL right now?

The Thorn Creek at Thornton, IL is currently flowing at 41 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 2.80 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Thorn Creek at Thornton, IL normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as normal for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 31th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Thorn Creek at Thornton, IL at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 6.20 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 9.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Thorn Creek at Thornton, IL on June 11?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 56 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 26 to 775 cfs.

Where is the Thorn Creek at Thornton, IL stream gauge located?

The Thorn Creek at Thornton, IL stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Cook County, IL on the Thorn Creek. USGS site number 05536275 (coordinates 41.5682, -87.6083).

Thorn Creek at Thornton, IL

USGS Site No: 05536275 • Thorn Creek • Cook County, IL

Thorn Creek at Thornton, IL on the Thorn Creek is currently at 41 cfs (Normal — 31th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 2.80 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

↑ Upstream on Thorn Creek

Thorn Creek at Glenwood, IL

CFS Discharge

2.80

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	26
25th	Low threshold	36
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	56	Today: 41 cfs
75th	High threshold	123
95th	Very High threshold	775

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	42	2.81
May 27, 2026	40	2.79
May 26, 2026	42	2.81
May 25, 2026	62	2.99
May 24, 2026	87	3.11
May 23, 2026	39	2.77
May 22, 2026	40	2.79
May 21, 2026	42	2.81
May 20, 2026	51	2.90
May 19, 2026	84	3.14
May 18, 2026	115	3.23
May 17, 2026	46	2.85
May 16, 2026	56	2.94
May 15, 2026	75	3.08
Apr 20, 2026	112	3.31
Apr 19, 2026	151	3.50
Apr 18, 2026	211	3.74
Apr 17, 2026	160	3.54
Apr 16, 2026	205	3.71
Apr 15, 2026	161	3.55
Apr 14, 2026	176	3.60
Apr 13, 2026	146	3.48
Apr 12, 2026	114	3.32
Apr 11, 2026	148	3.49
Apr 10, 2026	193	3.67
Apr 9, 2026	189	3.66
Apr 8, 2026	231	3.82
Apr 7, 2026	283	4.11
Apr 6, 2026	544	5.38
Apr 5, 2026	1,210	7.95

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05536275
State: IL
County: Cook County
Coordinates: 41.5682, -87.6083
Drainage Area: 104 mi²
Datum (ft): 586.1
HUC Code: 07120003

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 7.5 ft
Flood Stage: 9.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 14.0 ft
Major Flood: 15.5 ft

Currently 6.20 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 1,740 cfs

Apr 4, 2026
Min discharge: 20 cfs

Aug 11, 2025
Days at flood stage: 2

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Thorn Creek at Glenwood, IL
2.7 mi · 23 cfs

Normal
Little Calumet River at South Holland, IL
2.7 mi · 51 cfs

Low
Butterfield Creek at Flossmoor, IL
2.9 mi · 1 cfs

Very Low
Deer Creek Near Chicago Heights, IL
3.4 mi · 5 cfs

Normal
Calumet Union Drainage Canal Near Markham, IL
3.6 mi · 13 cfs

Very High