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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 6.4 mlJuly 21, 1986
The 1986 Chalfant Valley, California Earthquake · depth 9 km
M 4.7 mlJuly 20, 1986
15 km NE of Mesa, California · depth 7 km
M 5.9 mlJuly 20, 1986
18 km NNE of Mesa, California · depth 5 km
M 5.5 mlJuly 13, 1986
The 1986 Oceanside, California Earthquake · depth 6 km
M 6.0 mwJuly 8, 1986
The 1986 North Palm Springs, California Earthquake · depth 9 km
M 4.7 mlMay 31, 1986
18 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · depth 5 km
M 5.7 mlMarch 31, 1986
15 km NE of East Foothills, California · depth 9 km
M 5.5 mlJanuary 26, 1986
3 km ENE of Tres Pinos, California · depth 8 km
M 4.8 mlJanuary 14, 1986
22 km NE of Soledad, California · depth 6 km
M 4.6 mdDecember 28, 1985
10 km SSE of Sierra City, California · depth 6 km
M 4.5 mbDecember 16, 1985
270 km W of Ferndale, California · depth 5 km
M 4.6 mlNovember 28, 1985
31 km NE of Soledad, California · depth 10 km
M 4.5 mlNovember 24, 1985
2 km ENE of San Ardo, California · depth 15 km
M 4.6 mlOctober 2, 1985
3km SSE of Loma Linda, CA · depth 15 km
M 4.5 mlAugust 27, 1985
3 km WSW of Round Valley, California · depth 10 km
M 5.6 mlAugust 4, 1985
8 km SW of Huron, California · depth 16 km
M 4.7 mlAugust 4, 1985
8 km SW of Huron, California · depth 13 km
M 5.0 mdJuly 26, 1985
63 km WSW of Ferndale, California · depth 4 km
M 4.7 mlMay 4, 1985
4 km SE of Swall Meadows, California · depth 10 km
M 5.1 mlMarch 25, 1985
4 km NNW of Round Valley, California · depth 6 km
M 4.6 mdMarch 13, 1985
29 km SSW of Etna, California · depth 4 km
M 4.6 mlFebruary 8, 1985
11km ENE of Oildale, CA · depth 5 km
M 5.2 mlJanuary 24, 1985
31 km ENE of Mono City, California · depth 10 km
M 4.6 mbJanuary 7, 1985
173 km WSW of Ferndale, California · depth 5 km
M 4.6 mlNovember 28, 1984
5 km NNW of Round Valley, California · depth 4 km
M 4.7 mlNovember 28, 1984
2 km WSW of Round Valley, California · depth 0 km
M 4.5 mlNovember 26, 1984
7 km SSW of Swall Meadows, California · depth 2 km
M 4.6 mlNovember 26, 1984
6 km WNW of Round Valley, California · depth 6 km
M 5.6 mlNovember 26, 1984
6 km WNW of Round Valley, California · depth 6 km
M 4.8 mlNovember 25, 1984
4 km NNW of Round Valley, California · depth 6 km
M 5.5 mlNovember 23, 1984
2 km NW of Round Valley, California · depth 11 km
M 6.1 mlNovember 23, 1984
4 km NNW of Round Valley, California · depth 8 km
M 4.6 mlOctober 26, 1984
16km W of Malibu, CA · depth 13 km
M 4.5 mlOctober 25, 1984
8km NNW of Los Olivos, CA · depth 5 km
M 4.5 mlOctober 10, 1984
12km NE of Julian, CA · depth 11 km
M 4.5 mbSeptember 20, 1984
251 km W of Ferndale, California · depth 10 km
M 4.8 mlSeptember 20, 1984
101 km W of Ferndale, California · depth 3 km
M 4.5 mbSeptember 11, 1984
231 km W of Ferndale, California · depth 10 km
M 4.6 mlSeptember 11, 1984
69 km WSW of Ferndale, California · depth 4 km
M 5.0 mbSeptember 11, 1984
232 km W of Ferndale, California · depth 10 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.