TornadoLiveMap

Willamette River at Portland — water level right now

Multnomah County, Oregon · NWS gauge PRTO3
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
18
minor flood stage
 
33
record crest
set 1894-06-07
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 17
minor · 18
moderate · 24
major · 28
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage28extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage24some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage18low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage17water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
1331894-06-07+15 above
2301948-06-01+12 above
3301948-06-14+12 above
429.81964-12-25+11.8 above
528.71890-02-06+10.7 above
628.551996-02-09+10.55 above
728.21876-06-24+10.2 above
827.31880-07-01+9.3 above
926.41956-06-04+8.4 above
1026.21882-06-14+8.2 above
1125.71887-06-21+7.7 above
1225.31923-01-08+7.3 above

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Fanno Creek at 56th Ave - Portland 4 mi away · loading… Johnson Creek at Milwaukie 5 mi away · loading… Johnson Creek near Sycamore 8 mi away · loading… Fanno Creek at Durham 9 mi away · loading… Tualatin River at Tualatin 10 mi away · loading… Clackamas River near Oregon City 11 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDPRTO3
USGS site14211720
CountyMultnomah
StateOregon
NWS forecast officePortland
River forecast centerNorthwest River Forecast Center
Coordinates45.518, -122.669
Time zonePST8PDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Willamette River at Portland

Is Willamette River at Portland flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 18 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Willamette River at Portland?

major flood stage 28 ft, moderate flood stage 24 ft, minor flood stage 18 ft, action stage 17 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Willamette River at Portland?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 33 ft, reached on 1894-06-07 — that is 15 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Portland and local emergency management.