Des Plaines River at Lincolnshire, IL
River level and flood forecast · Lake County
Normal8.4 ftas of Mon 3:45 PM
The river is 4.1 ft below flood stage (12.5 ft).
Flow: 409 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Sep 28, 8:23 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 15.5 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 14 ft |
| Flood stage | 12.5 ft |
| Action stage | 11.5 ft |
| Record crest (July 13, 2017) | 16.55 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 19 ftNumerous commercial structures threatened near IL-21 (Milwaukee Avenue) and IL-60 (Townline Road). Low-lying sections of Grainger Woods Preserve are inundated.
- 18 ftNumerous structures threatened east of IL-21 (Milwaukee Avenue) between IL-60 (Townline Road) and IL-22 (Half-Day Road). Numerous residences threatened east of the river near IL-22 (Half-Day Road). Widespread inundation of residences and businesses along US-45 (Milwaukee Avenue) between IL-22 (Half-Day Road) and Lake Cook Road beings.
- 17 ftIL-22 (Half-Day Road) threatened just west of the river. US-45 (Milwaukee Avenue) threatened between IL-22 (Half-Day Road) and Lake Cook Road.
- 16 ftNumerous structures threatened along US-45 (Milwaukee Avenue) between IL-22 (Half Day Road) and Deerfield Road. Access route threatened for numerous residences near US-45 (Milwaukee Avenue) and Deerfield Road. IL-60 (Townline Road) threatened near the river.
- 15 ftStructures threatened along IL-22 (Half-Day Road) just east of the river. Multiple structures threatened near and west of US-45 (Milwaukee Avenue) and Deerfield Road. Deerfield Road threatened near the river. Multiple trails inundated in Half-Day Forest Preserve.
- 14 ftResidences threatened east of the river just south of IL-22 (Half-Day Road). Lincolnshire Drive threatened at Wiltshire Lane.
- 13 ftLow-lying trails in Wright Woods Forest Preserve are inundated.
- 8 ftLow-lying section of Des Plaines River Trail threatened near IL-60 (Townline Road).
Highest crests on record
- 16.55 ft — July 13, 2017
- 16.36 ft — April 19, 2013
- 15.9 ft — April 3, 1960
- 15.75 ft — May 18, 2020
- 15.07 ft — September 14, 2019
Recent crests: 15.75 ft (May 18, 2020) · 14.42 ft (May 1, 2020) · 12.54 ft (March 29, 2020) · 12.07 ft (October 5, 2019) · 15.07 ft (September 14, 2019)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamDes Plaines River near Gurnee, IL
- DownstreamDes Plaines River near Des Plaines, IL
- West Fork North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL
- Buffalo Creek (IL) at Wheeling, IL
- Skokie River at Lake Forest, IL
- West Fork North Branch Chicago River at Northbrook, IL
- North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL
- Skokie River at Highland Park, IL
- McDonald Creek near Mount Prospect, IL
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (LDRI2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.