Cedar River at Cedar Rapids, IA
River level and flood forecast · Linn County
Normal6.0 ftas of Mon 2 PM
The river is 6.0 ft below flood stage (12 ft).
Forecast to fall to 4.7 ft by Mon, Oct 19, 7 AM.
Flow: 8,930 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 9:07 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 16 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 14 ft |
| Flood stage | 12 ft |
| Action stage | 10 ft |
| Record crest (June 13, 2008) | 31.12 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 27 ftWater affects Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids.
- 24.2 ftWater reaches the bottom of the 1st Avenue bridge deck in downtown Cedar Rapids.
- 23.5 ftWater reaches the bottom of the County Road F28 bridge deck at Cedar Bluff.
- 22.5 ftWater reaches the top of a levee along 1st Street SW in Cedar Rapids.
- 22.2 ftWater reaches the bottom of the 2nd Avenue bridge deck in downtown Cedar Rapids.
- 20.2 ftWater reaches the bottom of the 3rd Avenue bridge deck and affects several homes along the river on 1st Street NW in Cedar Rapids.
- 19.5 ftWater reaches the bottom of the Blairs Ferry Road bridge deck.
- 19 ftWater reaches the bottom of a railroad bridge over the river near 1st Street NW and I Avenue NW in Cedar Rapids.
- 18.5 ftWater affects the lowest residences in Palo.
- 18.2 ftWater reaches the bottom of the railroad bridge along 8th Avenue in Cedar Rapids.
- 18 ftWater affects the lowest sections of Edgewood Road NW between Ellis Road NW and the Cedar River.
- 17.7 ftWater affects the lowest sections of the main road through Ellis Boat Harbor on Ellis Road NW. Water affects the lowest sections of Blairs Ferry Road near the Cedar River.
- 16.5 ftWater affects the lowest sections of Ellis Road NW near the Ellis Pool and affects the entrance road to Ellis Boat Harbor on Ellis Road NW in Cedar Rapids.
- 15.5 ftWater affects the lowest sections of Old River Road SW.
- 15.2 ftWater affects the parks along the river between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue and between 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue.
- 14.2 ftWater affects the lowest sections of C Street SW near Prairie Creek.
- 14 ftWater affects many residences in Cedar Bluff.
- 13.5 ftWater affects the lowest sections of Palo.
- 13 ftWater affects the lowest residences in Cedar Bluff.
- 11.5 ftWater affects Osborn Park in Cedar Rapids.
- 9.5 ftWater affects the lowest sections of Otis Road SE.
Highest crests on record
- 31.12 ft — June 13, 2008
- 21.97 ft — September 27, 2016
- 20 ft — March 18, 1929
- 20 ft — June 1, 1851
- 19.66 ft — March 31, 1961
Recent crests: 12.01 ft (July 15, 2026) · 13.86 ft (June 29, 2024) · 15.71 ft (June 25, 2020) · 18.32 ft (March 19, 2019) · 17.94 ft (September 26, 2018)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamCedar River at Palo, IA
- DownstreamCedar River below Indian Creek at Cedar Rapids, IA
- Indian Creek (Eastern IA) at Marion, IA
- Clear Creek (IA) near Oxford, IA
- Iowa River at Coralville Res Tail, IA
- Muddy Creek (IA) at Coralville, IA
- Clear Creek (IA) near Coralville, IA
- Rapid Creek (IA) near Iowa City, IA
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (CIDI4); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.