Mississippi River at Chester, IL

Randolph County, Illinois · USGS gauge 07020500 · NWS CHSI2 · Mississippi River flood status · Illinois river levels

Is Mississippi River at Chester, IL flooding right now?

Mississippi River at Chester, IL measured 13.15 ft on 2026-09-22 21:00:00 UTC. That observation was 13.8 ft below its 27 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height

13.15 ft

as of 61 min ago

Streamflow

202,000 cfs

data refreshed 14 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 27 ft, with major flooding at 40 ft. The highest crest on record was 49.74 ft on Sat, Aug 7, 1993.

Flood forecast

NWS forecast, issued 5 hours ago. Forecasts are issued for select river points and update through the day.

Flood stages at this gauge

Category	Stage	Current distance
Action	25 ft	11.8 ft below
Minor flood	27 ft	13.8 ft below
Moderate flood	35 ft	21.9 ft below
Major flood	40 ft	26.9 ft below

New to these numbers? What does flood stage mean? · How to read a river gauge · Why is the river rising?

Highest crests on record

Stage	Date
49.74 ft	1993-08-07
46.52 ft	2019-06-10
45.99 ft	2016-01-02
44.66 ft	2017-05-06
44 ft	1995-05-23

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Distance	County
South Fork Saline Creek near Perryville, MO	12.5 mi	Perry County
Kaskaskia River near Red Bud, IL	20.1 mi	Randolph County
Big Muddy River at Murphysboro, IL	28.4 mi	Jackson County
Big Muddy River at Rte 127 at Murphysboro, IL	29.1 mi	Jackson County
Kaskaskia River at New Athens, IL	29.1 mi	St. Clair County

Provisional data: Real-time readings are provisional and subject to revision by the USGS — sensors can be affected by ice, debris, or equipment malfunction. Do not rely on this site for decisions involving personal safety; follow official guidance from the National Weather Service and local authorities.

Sources: USGS monitoring location · NWS gauge & forecast