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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 mlJune 14, 1959
5 km S of Whitehawk, California
M 4.5 mlJune 1, 1959
22km S of Ocotillo, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.6 mlMay 26, 1959
5 km NE of Salinas, California
M 5.6 mlApril 1, 1959
5 km NE of Loyalton, California
M 5.3 mlMarch 2, 1959
3 km SW of Gilroy, California
M 4.7 mlJanuary 5, 1959
14km SSW of Olancha, CA · depth 0 km
M 4.7 mlDecember 11, 1958
7 km WNW of Broadmoor, California
M 4.7 mlOctober 10, 1958
30km N of San Miguel, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.6 mlOctober 1, 1958
6 km ESE of Sierraville, California
M 4.6 mlSeptember 21, 1958
17km E of Gilroy, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.9 mlMay 24, 1958
11 km WSW of Weott, California
M 4.7 mlOctober 31, 1957
8 km ESE of Albion, California
M 4.5 mlSeptember 28, 1957
21 km NNE of Soledad, California
M 4.5 mlSeptember 3, 1957
off the coast of Northern California
M 4.5 mlJune 21, 1957
17km ENE of Yosemite Valley, CA · depth 6 km
M 5.0 mlMay 26, 1957
6km WSW of Salton City, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.7 mlApril 25, 1957
19km N of Ocotillo, CA · depth 6 km
M 5.0 mlApril 25, 1957
11km SW of Salton City, CA · depth 6 km
M 5.2 mlApril 25, 1957
11km NNW of Westmorland, CA · depth 6 km
M 5.3 mlMarch 22, 1957
The 1957 San Francisco, California Earthquake
M 4.8 mlMarch 18, 1957
1km WSW of Port Hueneme, CA · depth 6 km
M 6.1 mwFebruary 9, 1957
172 km WSW of Crescent City, California · depth 15 km
M 4.5 mlFebruary 1, 1957
16km E of Desert Hot Springs, CA · depth 6 km
M 5.2 mlJanuary 29, 1957
155km SW of Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.7 mlJanuary 24, 1957
21km E of Julian, CA · depth 6 km
M 5.1 mlDecember 31, 1956
23 km E of Bridgeport, California
M 5.0 mlDecember 31, 1956
26 km E of Bridgeport, California
M 5.0 mlNovember 16, 1956
28km NE of King City, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.8 mlOctober 11, 1956
130 km W of Ferndale, California
M 4.8 mlOctober 11, 1956
131 km W of Ferndale, California
M 6.4 mwOctober 11, 1956
155 km W of Ferndale, California · depth 10 km
M 5.9 mwAugust 30, 1956
179 km W of Ferndale, California · depth 15 km
M 4.7 mlJuly 23, 1956
5 km WSW of Greenfield, California
M 4.9 mlJuly 9, 1956
16 km NE of Hornbrook, California
M 4.9 mlJuly 6, 1956
California-Nevada border region
M 4.7 mlMay 11, 1956
7km ESE of Big Bear City, CA · depth 12 km
M 4.7 mlMarch 16, 1956
7km ENE of Big Bear City, CA · depth 3 km
M 4.5 mlMarch 10, 1956
23 km SSW of Scotia, California
M 4.6 mlJanuary 3, 1956
40km S of Ocotillo, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.7 mlJanuary 3, 1956
14km NE of Trabuco Canyon, CA · depth 11 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.