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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 4.5 mbApril 7, 1974
91 km WSW of Ferndale, California · depth 33 km
M 4.7 mbMarch 16, 1974
46 km SW of Ferndale, California · depth 33 km
M 4.5 mbMarch 7, 1974
280 km W of Ferndale, California · depth 33 km
M 4.9 mbFebruary 6, 1974
85 km WSW of Ferndale, California · depth 18 km
M 4.5 mbJanuary 6, 1974
217 km W of Ferndale, California · depth 33 km
M 4.5 mbJanuary 6, 1974
11 km NW of McArthur, California · depth 5 km
M 5.2 mbDecember 21, 1973
28 km W of Ferndale, California · depth 30 km
M 4.8 mbNovember 12, 1973
7 km S of Willits, California · depth 18 km
M 4.7 mbOctober 13, 1973
Baja California, Mexico · depth 33 km
M 4.6 mbOctober 3, 1973
10 km NE of Morgan Hill, California · depth 6 km
M 4.7 mlSeptember 13, 1973
28km NW of Ocotillo, CA · depth 9 km
M 5.1 mbAugust 9, 1973
27 km SSW of Scotia, California · depth 2 km
M 5.1 mlAugust 6, 1973
9km SSE of Santa Cruz Is. (E end), CA · depth 17 km
M 5.3 mwJune 15, 1973
123 km W of Big Lagoon, California · depth 12 km
M 5.5 msMarch 25, 1973
Gulf of California · depth 33 km
M 4.7 mbMarch 20, 1973
145 km WSW of Ferndale, California · depth 33 km
M 5.3 mwFebruary 21, 1973
The 1973 Point Mugu, California Earthquake · depth 10 km
M 4.8 msNovember 14, 1972
46 km SW of Ferndale, California · depth 23 km
M 4.9 mwOctober 3, 1972
5 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · depth 8 km
M 5.1 msSeptember 23, 1972
108 km W of Crescent City, California · depth 21 km
M 4.8 mlSeptember 4, 1972
8km NE of Gonzales, CA · depth 6 km
M 6.0 mwMarch 1, 1972
105 km W of Ferndale, California · depth 11 km
M 5.2 mwFebruary 27, 1972
25 km NE of Soledad, California · depth 8 km
M 5.1 mwFebruary 24, 1972
3 km W of Soledad, California · depth 12 km
M 4.9 mlFebruary 24, 1972
25km S of Carmel Valley Village, CA · depth 6 km
M 5.4 mwNovember 20, 1971
27 km SSW of Ferndale, California · depth 15 km
M 5.0 mlSeptember 30, 1971
18km WSW of Westmorland, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.9 mbSeptember 12, 1971
32 km E of Orick, California · depth 23 km
M 4.8 mbApril 16, 1971
23 km S of Davenport, California · depth 8 km
M 4.8 mbMarch 9, 1971
21 km SSW of Santa Cruz, California · depth 8 km
M 5.5 mwFebruary 27, 1971
54 km WSW of Ferndale, California · depth 18 km
M 4.6 mlFebruary 9, 1971
9km NNE of Lake View Terrace, CA · depth 14 km
M 4.8 mlFebruary 9, 1971
4km NE of Pacoima, CA · depth 3 km
M 5.3 mhFebruary 9, 1971
10km SSW of Agua Dulce, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.6 mlFebruary 9, 1971
4km SW of Lake View Terrace, CA · depth 15 km
M 4.6 mhFebruary 9, 1971
10km SSW of Agua Dulce, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.5 mhFebruary 9, 1971
10km SSW of Agua Dulce, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.5 mhFebruary 9, 1971
10km SSW of Agua Dulce, CA · depth 6 km
M 5.8 mhFebruary 9, 1971
10km SSW of Agua Dulce, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.7 mhFebruary 9, 1971
10km SSW of Agua Dulce, CA · 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.