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The Water Around Us
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Live · updated daily from USGS

Swimmable water near you

2,141 USGS sensors are reporting a live water temperature right now, the newest reading from August 22, 2026 (1 hr ago).

Clear location
  • Cold · below 60°F · 385
  • Cool · 60–69°F · 607
  • Comfortable · 70–86°F · 934
  • Warm · above 86°F · 215
  • You

A map of the United States with one coloured dot per USGS sensor reporting a live water temperature. The readings are listed below.

Nearest live readings

The closest USGS sensors currently reporting a water temperature, nearest first.

  1. PAMUNKEY RIVER NEAR HANOVER, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia · 94 ft³/s
    79°F6.1 mi1 hr ago
  2. MATTAPONI RIVER NEAR BEULAHVILLE, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia · 203 ft³/s
    79°F17 mi1 hr ago
  3. CHICKAHOMINY RIVER NEAR PROVIDENCE FORGE, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia · 209 ft³/s
    78°F23 mi2 hrs ago
  4. APPOMATTOX RIVER AT MATOACA, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia · 156 ft³/s
    79°F32 mi1 hr ago
  5. DRAGON SWAMP AT MASCOT, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia · 12 ft³/s
    77°F36 mi1 hr ago
  6. JAMES RIVER AT CARTERSVILLE, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia · 2,390 ft³/s
    82°F40 mi2 hrs ago
  7. RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER NEAR FREDERICKSBURG, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia · 653 ft³/s
    80°F45 mi1 hr ago
  8. STORM DRAIN AT RIVERS RDG CIR NR NEWPORT NEWS, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia · 0 ft³/s
    75°F56 mi1 hr ago

Nearest swimmable spots

Rated, photographed water destinations within 25 miles — pair one with the nearest sensor reading above before you go.

Huguenot Flatwater - James River Park System4.6(517)

Huguenot Flatwater - James River Park System

Park · Richmond, Virginia

37 acres under the Huguenot Bridge with birdwatching, a boat ramp & paths for bank fishing.

14 mi from your location

Swift Creek Reservoir4.6(53)

Swift Creek Reservoir

Lake · Virginia
Camping nearby

This 1,700-acre artificial lake surrounded by housing developments offers boating & fishing.

24 mi from your location

About this map

Every pin is a live reading from a USGS real-time monitoring station, captured in a daily snapshot. Colours follow the site’s cold-water-safety thresholds and describe the water at that one sensor — usually a river or stream gauge, not a swim beach — so treat them as a guide to what the water is doing nearby, not a verdict on a specific spot. Readings are provisional and can be revised by the USGS. Your location only sorts this page: the coordinates appear in the address bar (rounded to about a mile) and are not saved to an account or our database.

Conditions are for general information only and can change quickly. Always judge the water in person and follow posted advisories and local guidance before swimming or paddling.