Illinois River at Valley City, IL
River level and flood forecast · Scott County
Normal7.3 ftas of Mon 3:30 PM
The river is 6.7 ft below flood stage (14 ft).
Forecast to fall to 5.1 ft by Mon, Oct 19, 7 AM.
Flow: 27,200 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 9:40 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 23 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 21 ft |
| Flood stage | 14 ft |
| Action stage | 11 ft |
| Record crest (May 26, 1943) | 27 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 28 ftWarehouse on County Highway 2 (2100W) is flooded. Another house a half mile north of Valley City on County Road 21 is flooded. Also, the U.S. Coast Guard will consider closing the river to all vessels above this height.
- 24.5 ftCounty Highway 21 flooded 3/4 mile north of Valley City.
- 24 ftBuildings in Montezuma are flooded.
- 23.6 ftBuildings and main access roads in Florence are flooded.
- 23.5 ftMobile home and garage just west of County Highway 21 (Railroad Street) in Valley City is surrounded by water.
- 23 ftWestfall Antiques and More building is flooded.
- 22.5 ftBottom of 365th Avenue (gravel road - 2650N) becomes flooded.
- 21.5 ftCommercial Building is flooded on Railroad Street (or County Highway 21).
- 14 ftThe road to Norbut Fish and Wildlife area is flooded.
- 0.9 ftAt and below this height, barge traffic will need to consider lowering tonnage to avoid grounding.
Highest crests on record
- 27 ft — May 26, 1943
- 26.99 ft — June 4, 2019
- 26.85 ft — July 2, 2015
- 26.63 ft — April 27, 2013
- 26.56 ft — May 30, 1995
Recent crests: 15.38 ft (May 2, 2026) · 15.62 ft (February 6, 2024) · 14.12 ft (November 5, 2021) · 16.1 ft (July 10, 2021) · 14.41 ft (May 25, 2021)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (VALI2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.