Missouri River at Kansas City, MO
USGS gauge 06893000 · drainage 484,100 sq mi · observed Oct 16, 8:30 PM CDT · 50 min old
Last 7 days Live gauge
Source: USGS Water Data API (continuous values), observed to Oct 16, 8:30 PM CDT. Shaded band: 25th to 75th percentile of USGS daily statistics for each date; dashed: median. Flow in cfs.
Rate of rise and fall Live gauge
| Window | Flow then | Change to latest | Gage height then | Gage height change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | 60,100 cfs | ▬ +0.00 cfs (+0.0%) | 13.23 ft | -0.01 ft |
| 3 h | 60,400 cfs | ▬ -300 cfs (-0.5%) | 13.27 ft | -0.05 ft |
| 6 h | 60,700 cfs | ▬ -600 cfs (-1.0%) | 13.33 ft | -0.11 ft |
| 12 h | 61,900 cfs | ▼ -1,800 cfs (-2.9%) | 13.52 ft | -0.30 ft |
| 24 h | 64,900 cfs | ▼ -4,800 cfs (-7.4%) | 14.00 ft | -0.78 ft |
Last 7 days
| Measure | Flow | Time | Relative to latest reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest reading | 73,700 cfs | Oct 9, 08:45 PM CDT | 168 h earlier |
| Lowest reading | 60,100 cfs | Oct 16, 6:45 PM CDT | 2 h earlier |
Source: computed from USGS continuous readings (Water Data API) to Oct 16, 8:30 PM CDT. Each row compares the latest reading with the reading closest to that many hours earlier; the arrow is steady (▬) when the change is within 1%.
Daily mean flow Live gauge
| Date (gauge-local) | Mean flow | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2026 | 61,801 cfs | |
| Oct 15, 2026 | 67,044 cfs | |
| Oct 14, 2026 | 69,899 cfs | |
| Oct 13, 2026 | 65,257 cfs | |
| Oct 12, 2026 | 66,592 cfs | |
| Oct 11, 2026 | 69,007 cfs | |
| Oct 10, 2026 | 71,947 cfs | |
| Oct 9, 2026 | 73,462 cfs | |
| Oct 8, 2026 | – | Partial day |
Source: USGS Water Data API (continuous values); each mean uses readings on that gauge-local date, shown only with at least 80% of expected readings.
The same 50 days in earlier years Historical record
━ 2026 ╌ 2025 ╌ 2024 ╌ 2023
| Year | Mean flow | Highest day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 59,424 cfs | 177,000 cfs |
| 2025 | 42,896 cfs | 54,500 cfs |
| 2024 | 42,770 cfs | 44,800 cfs |
| 2023 | 41,212 cfs | 43,600 cfs |
Source: USGS daily mean flows (Water Data API). Each line is the 50 days from Aug 27 to Oct 15, shifted to the same calendar dates in earlier years; gaps are days without a published value. Recent days are provisional.
Compared with this gauge’s record Historical record
| Measure | Value | When or rank |
|---|---|---|
| Peak daily flow, last 7 days | 73,500 cfs | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Last time daily flow was this high or higher | 80,700 cfs | Sep 18, 2026 (21 days earlier) |
| Last day above the 90th percentile for its date, before this peak | Jul 6, 2024 | 2 years earlier |
| Days above the 75th percentile for their date | 15 of 30 | last 30 days |
| October 1 to 15, mean flow | 90,060 cfs | rank 7 highest of 99 years |
| Peak daily mean compared with annual instantaneous peaks of record | Exceeded by 94 of 99 | return period about 1.1 years (Weibull: (N+1)/rank) |
Source: USGS daily mean flows (Water Data API), 1928 to 2026 (35,809 days), data through Oct 15, 2026, computed 2026-10-17; method record-v1. Percentiles are USGS daily statistics. Recent days are provisional.
Largest annual peaks Historical record
Ten largest peaks of record
| Date | Peak flow | Gage height at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 1844 | 625,000 cfs | 48.00 ft |
| Jul 14, 1951 | 573,000 cfs | 36.20 ft |
| Jun 2, 1903 | 548,000 cfs | 34.95 ft |
| Jul 27, 1993 | 541,000 cfs | 48.87 ft |
| Apr 24, 1952 | 400,000 cfs | 30.63 ft |
| Jun 18, 1943 | 366,000 cfs | 29.10 ft |
| Oct 13, 1973 | 313,000 cfs | 28.86 ft |
| Apr 24, 1944 | 311,000 cfs | 27.67 ft |
| Jun 2, 2019 | 308,000 cfs | 36.73 ft |
| May 8, 2007 | 286,000 cfs | 35.47 ft |
Five most recent annual peaks
| Date | Peak flow | Gage height at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 17, 2025 | 97,000 cfs | 18.51 ft |
| Jul 4, 2024 | 198,000 cfs | 28.54 ft |
| Mar 3, 2023 | 64,100 cfs | 13.07 ft |
| Jun 1, 2022 | 115,000 cfs | 20.36 ft |
| Jun 26, 2021 | 135,000 cfs | 22.59 ft |
Source: USGS annual peak streamflow (Water Data API), 99 annual peaks, 1844 to 2025. A water year's peak is its highest instantaneous flow.
Historic crests Official NWS
| Date | Crest stage | Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 26, 1993 | 48.87 ft | – |
| Jun 14, 1844 | 48.00 ft | – |
| Jul 13, 1951 | 46.20 ft | – |
| May 31, 1903 | 45.00 ft | – |
| Apr 23, 1952 | 40.60 ft | – |
| Jun 14, 1908 | 40.30 ft | – |
| Jul 10, 1993 | 39.70 ft | – |
| Jun 18, 1943 | 39.10 ft | – |
| Jul 20, 1915 | 39.00 ft | – |
| Apr 29, 1881 | 37.80 ft | – |
Source: National Weather Service forecast point KCDM7 (Missouri River at Kansas City), historic crests as published by the NWS; the NWS may have recorded them on an older gauge datum. The USGS annual peaks above are a separate record and can differ in date, flow and datum.
Gage height to flow rating Historical record
Line: current USGS rating, gage height (ft, horizontal) to flow (cfs, vertical). ● latest reading, 13.22 ft and 60,100 cfs.
Source: USGS rating table for the gauge (NWIS rating depot, expanded shifted rating, 5,204 rows, thinned to 93 points), fetched Oct 16, 9:11 PM CDT. Ratings are provisional and change with the channel.
Flood stages Official NWS
| Category | Gage height (ft) |
|---|---|
| Action | 29.0 ft |
| Minor | 32.0 ft |
| Moderate | 35.0 ft |
| Major | 49.0 ft |
Source: National Weather Service forecast point KCDM7 (Missouri River at Kansas City), fetched Oct 16, 9:13 PM CDT. Compare with the gage height above; thresholds belong to that forecast point.
Flood impacts by stage Official NWS
| Stage | National Weather Service impact statement |
|---|---|
| 32.0 ft | Minor flooding outside of levees occurs. |
| 35.0 ft | Farm levees are overtopped. Flooding of cropland, homesteads, and secondary roads behind the levees occurs. |
| 39.0 ft | Gaps in levees and floodwalls in the Central Industrial District must be closed. |
| 40.0 ft | Gaps in the levees and floodwalls at North Kansas City must be closed. |
| 43.7 ft | Gaps in the levees and floodwalls of the East Bottoms area must be closed. |
| 48.5 ft | The levee in the Birmingham Unit begins to be overtopped. |
| 49.6 ft | Major levees in the Kansas City Missouri area begin to overtop. |
Source: National Weather Service forecast point KCDM7 (Missouri River at Kansas City). Statements are quoted from the NWS and describe that forecast point.
Sources and method
- Data: U.S. Geological Survey. Terms
- River forecasts and flood stages: National Weather Service. National Water Model guidance: NOAA. Terms
USGS daily statistics, downloaded 2026-10-12
Percentile method: trailing 24 h mean vs USGS daily percentiles for calendar date 10-16.
Percentile is estimated from USGS published daily percentiles. Readings are provisional until USGS reviews them. Not endorsed by USGS, NOAA or the National Weather Service. Not for navigation or safety-of-life decisions; the absence of an alert is not a statement that conditions are safe.