Upper Potomac - UP

UP
Off National Harbor, MD, near Washington D.C. NOTE: BUOY WAS REMOVED 11/30/2017; NO PLANS TO REDEPLOY AT THIS LOCATION
38.7877, -77.0357
Data in red are more than 3 hours old.
UP buoy

A CBIBS buoy was stationed on the Potomac River just south of the Woodrow Wilson (Beltway) Bridge from May 14, 2020, to November 30, 2017. This buoy was pulled each winter to keep it safe from potential ice damage, so there are data gaps roughly from December through March/April. Other intermittent data gaps exist at this location. The buoy was visible from both the Maryland and Virginia sides of the river. Data from when the buoy was deployed are available via data tools.

Captain John Smith and his crew passed by this point twice in June 1608 as they explored the Potomac River in their unfruitful search for the Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean. Smith and his explorers made it all the way up the river to its head at Little Falls, where they left their Discovery Barge and continued on foot to Great Falls.

Today, the area is a bustling metropolis, home to Virginians, Marylanders, and Washingtonians. Washington, D.C., our nation's capital, is a busy city—but is just a few miles away from scenic natural areas on the Potomac.

Be sure to check the weather forecast before you head out.

For more information on the history of the area, please visit:

QuickTabs - Prior Location Tabs

UP buoy

A CBIBS buoy was stationed on the Potomac River just south of the Woodrow Wilson (Beltway) Bridge from May 14, 2020, to November 30, 2017. This buoy was pulled each winter to keep it safe from potential ice damage, so there are data gaps roughly from December through March/April. Other intermittent data gaps exist at this location. The buoy was visible from both the Maryland and Virginia sides of the river. Data from when the buoy was deployed are available via data tools.

Captain John Smith and his crew passed by this point twice in June 1608 as they explored the Potomac River in their unfruitful search for the Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean. Smith and his explorers made it all the way up the river to its head at Little Falls, where they left their Discovery Barge and continued on foot to Great Falls.

Today, the area is a bustling metropolis, home to Virginians, Marylanders, and Washingtonians. Washington, D.C., our nation's capital, is a busy city—but is just a few miles away from scenic natural areas on the Potomac.

Be sure to check the weather forecast before you head out.

For more information on the history of the area, please visit:


Check out the Data Download page for historical data.