Around here
Around James River
- James River National Wildlife RefugeRecreation area3.1 mi (opens in a new tab)
- Presquile National Wildlife RefugeRecreation area10.8 mi (opens in a new tab)
- Eastern Front Visitor CenterVisitor center15.4 mi (opens in a new tab)
- Richmond National Battlefield ParkRecreation area17.5 mi (opens in a new tab)
Data Source: Recreation.gov · Public land: USGS PAD-US
About this river
James River is a 33.8 mile river near Riverside Outfitters in Virginia. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge James River and Kanawha Canal near Richmond, VA (site 02037000). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 8. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1937 to 2026
James River typically runs highest in June, at a median 448 cfs, and lowest in October, at 245 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 3,860 cfs, in 1940.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 369 | 22 to 904 |
| February | 383 | 26 to 915 |
| March | 264 | 42 to 928 |
| April | 305 | 57 to 922 |
| May | 372 | 75 to 900 |
| June | 448 | 86 to 868 |
| July | 356 | 91 to 810 |
| August | 275 | 99 to 804 |
| September | 281 | 84 to 787 |
| October | 245 | 71 to 797 |
| November | 342 | 33 to 831 |
| December | 333 | 14 to 889 |
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 89 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for James River and Kanawha Canal near Richmond, VA (site 02037000). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
5 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.
- White Bank ParkSwift CreekPublic
- Dutch GapJames RiverPublic
- Osborne Pike LandingJames RiverPublic
- Deep BottomJames RiverPublic
- Ancarrow's LandingJames RiverPublic
Made to print
Put James River on your wall
This river section as an art print, drawn over the real terrain with its miles, plus the trails, roads and peaks around it. Pick the colors and the size, and see the finished print before you buy. From $39, shipping included.
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.
