James River in Virginia
Around here
Around James River
Data Source: Recreation.gov · Public land: USGS PAD-US
About this river
James River is a 62.1 mile river. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge James River at Buchanan, VA (site 02019500). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 7. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1980 to 2026
James River typically runs highest in March, at a median 2,900 cfs, and lowest in October, at 618 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 102,000 cfs, in 1986.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,790 | 1,100 to 3,240 |
| February | 2,190 | 1,470 to 4,460 |
| March | 2,900 | 1,900 to 4,830 |
| April | 2,615 | 1,665 to 4,965 |
| May | 2,230 | 1,450 to 3,920 |
| June | 1,115 | 839 to 2,085 |
| July | 863 | 697 to 1,170 |
| August | 751 | 621 to 987 |
| September | 628 | 559 to 874 |
| October | 618 | 509 to 1,030 |
| November | 784 | 546 to 1,760 |
| December | 1,450 | 826 to 2,790 |
Typical is the median of each month’s daily median values, and the usual range runs from the median 25th to the median 75th percentile, across about 47 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for James River at Buchanan, VA (site 02019500). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
8 mapped launches sit in the mapped area of James River, all of them public access. Ramp data comes from the USGS national boat-ramp inventory.
Embed this gauge on your site
Paste this snippet anywhere, an outfitter page, a club site, a trip report, to show James River's live streamflow, water level and 7-day trend. It reads the USGS gauge directly, updates itself, and links back here.
See every free widget you can put on your site, including live conditions and a 7 day forecast.
