Pennsylvania · West Chester, PA
Brandywine Creek float season
Gauge 01481000 on the Chester County — Northbrook to Chadds Ford. Philly-area crowds tube and canoe past Wyeth-country meadows and stone bridges on a creek that feels engineered for a slow summer afternoon.
Right now at this gauge
loading CFS
Checking the live gauge…
Well above typical for this date
Live reading from the USGS gauge page for Brandywine Creek. Provisional data — subject to revision.
The year on this river
In a typical year at the West Chester gauge, the Brandywine Creek runs fullest Feb–Apr and leanest Aug–Oct. Where today's reading falls inside that rhythm matters more than the raw number — the same flow that feels thin in spring can be the summer norm. Half of all past April days at this gauge ran above 499 CFS; the September median is 164 CFS.
| Month | Typical flow (CFS) | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| January | 371 | |
| February | 445 | |
| March | 473 | |
| April | 499 | |
| May | 393 | |
| June | 296 | |
| July | 228 | |
| August | 183 | |
| September | 164 | |
| October | 183 | |
| November | 221 | |
| December | 325 |
Record context
This gauge has measured daily flow since 1974 — 52 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 19,500 CFS, in September 2021. Rivers do that sometimes; it's why the safety panel above isn't decoration.
Planning dates? The trip-window checker shows what flows have historically looked like on any week you pick for this river, or see what a CFS actually looks like.
More Pennsylvania float rivers
-
Clarion River
Cook Forest — Cooksburg through the Wild and Scenic corridor
Fullest: Mar–May
-
Delaware River
Lower Delaware from Frenchtown past Riegelsville
Fullest: Mar–May
-
Lehigh River
Lehigh Gorge — White Haven to Jim Thorpe
Fullest: Mar–May
-
Pine Creek
Pine Creek Gorge (PA Grand Canyon) — Ansonia to Blackwell
Fullest: Mar–May
-
Youghiogheny River
Ohiopyle — Middle and Lower Yough around Ohiopyle Falls
Fullest: Feb–Apr
Common questions
When is the Brandywine Creek usually at its fullest?
At the West Chester gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Feb–Apr, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 499 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.
What is a typical summer flow on the Brandywine Creek?
The July median at this gauge is about 228 CFS — half of past Julys ran higher, half lower. Late summer is this river's lean season, so expect readings to drift down as the season goes on.
Is the Brandywine Creek safe to float right now?
No flow number can answer that, and this site never labels a river safe. What the data can tell you is how today's reading compares with 52 years of this date's history — well above typical means pushier, colder, faster water. Pair that context with a PFD, a look at the river from the bank, and a call to a local outfitter before you commit.
Which USGS gauge does this page use?
USGS gauge 01481000 (Brandywine Creek at Chadds Ford, PA), chosen because it best represents the Chester County — Northbrook to Chadds Ford. Daily records here reach back to 1974.
Data: USGS gauge 01481000, approved daily records 1974–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.