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California Earthquake History
Since April 30, 1900, the USGS has recorded 1,665 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or greater in California, 107 of them magnitude 6 or above. The strongest was M 7.9.
By decade
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Strongest in California
M 7.9 · The 1906 San Francisco, California EarthquakeApril 18, 1906M 7.5 · The 1952 Kern County, California EarthquakeJuly 21, 1952M 7.4 · 123 km W of Big Lagoon, CaliforniaJanuary 31, 1922M 7.3 · The 1992 Landers, California EarthquakeJune 28, 1992M 7.2 · The 1980 Eureka, California EarthquakeNovember 8, 1980M 7.2 · The 1992 Petrolia, California EarthquakeApril 25, 1992M 7.2 · 153 km W of Big Lagoon, CaliforniaJune 15, 2005M 7.1 · The 1923 Humboldt County, California EarthquakeJanuary 22, 1923M 7.1 · Gulf of CaliforniaDecember 9, 1901M 7.1 · Baja California, MexicoDecember 12, 1902
All recorded earthquakes
M 4.8 mlNovember 24, 1987
16km W of Westmorland, CA · depth 5 km
M 4.5 mlNovember 24, 1987
18km W of Westmorland, CA · depth 5 km
M 6.2 mwNovember 24, 1987
The 1987 Elmore Ranch, California Earthquake · depth 11 km
M 5.3 mlOctober 4, 1987
2km WSW of Rosemead, CA · depth 8 km
M 4.6 mlOctober 1, 1987
3km ESE of Monterey Park, CA · depth 10 km
M 4.8 mdOctober 1, 1987
22 km NE of San Ardo, California · depth 27 km
M 4.8 mlOctober 1, 1987
2km E of Monterey Park, CA · depth 11 km
M 4.7 mlOctober 1, 1987
3km SE of Monterey Park, CA · depth 13 km
M 5.9 mwOctober 1, 1987
The 1987 Whittier Narrows, California Earthquake · depth 15 km
M 5.6 mlJuly 31, 1987
20 km SSW of Ferndale, California · depth 17 km
M 5.6 mwJuly 3, 1987
Gulf of California · depth 10 km
M 5.3 mlFebruary 14, 1987
4 km NNE of Coalinga, California · depth 15 km
M 5.1 mlNovember 21, 1986
26 km SSW of Ferndale, California · depth 15 km
M 5.1 mlNovember 21, 1986
26 km SSW of Ferndale, California · depth 15 km
M 4.6 mlNovember 1, 1986
California-Nevada border region · depth 17 km
M 4.6 mlOctober 31, 1986
19 km ESE of Walker, California · depth 8 km
M 5.1 mlAugust 1, 1986
13 km N of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, California · depth 8 km
M 4.8 mlAugust 1, 1986
14 km N of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, California · depth 4 km
M 4.9 mdAugust 1, 1986
1 km NW of Blue Lake, California · depth 18 km
M 4.7 mdAugust 1, 1986
5 km NNE of Brooktrails, California · depth 58 km
M 4.5 mlJuly 31, 1986
8 km NE of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, California · depth 7 km
M 5.8 mlJuly 31, 1986
10 km NNE of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, California · depth 6 km
M 4.8 mlJuly 30, 1986
18 km ENE of Swall Meadows, California · depth 7 km
M 4.6 mlJuly 29, 1986
18 km NE of Swall Meadows, California · depth 6 km
M 4.7 mlJuly 23, 1986
16 km NE of Mesa, California · depth 12 km
M 4.7 mlJuly 22, 1986
12 km NNE of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, California · depth 4 km
M 5.0 mlJuly 22, 1986
13 km NNE of Mesa, California · depth 11 km
M 4.7 mlJuly 22, 1986
13 km NNE of Mesa, California · depth 9 km
M 4.5 mlJuly 22, 1986
California-Nevada border region · depth 2 km
M 4.5 mlJuly 21, 1986
9 km NNE of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, California · depth 7 km
M 4.5 mlJuly 21, 1986
13 km NNE of Mesa, California · depth 10 km
M 4.6 mlJuly 21, 1986
11 km NNE of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, California · depth 5 km
M 4.5 mlJuly 21, 1986
20 km ENE of Swall Meadows, California · depth 6 km
M 4.6 mlJuly 21, 1986
13 km NE of Mesa, California · depth 10 km
M 4.7 mlJuly 21, 1986
14 km NE of Mesa, California · depth -0 km
M 4.8 mlJuly 21, 1986
13 km N of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, California · depth 2 km
M 4.9 mlJuly 21, 1986
20 km NNE of Mesa, California · depth 6 km
M 4.5 mlJuly 21, 1986
16km NE of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, CA · depth 5 km
M 5.7 mlJuly 21, 1986
11 km NE of Mesa, California · depth 8 km
M 4.6 mlJuly 21, 1986
20 km NNE of Mesa, California · depth 6 km
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Earthquake Hazards Program. Older and smaller earthquakes are under-counted relative to recent decades as instrumentation improved. A record of past shaking is not a forecast. See About the Data.