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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 5.2 mlJuly 21, 1952
11km SSE of Arvin, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.6 mlJuly 21, 1952
9km ESE of Arvin, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.7 mlJuly 21, 1952
18km N of Tehachapi, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.5 mlJuly 21, 1952
4km NNE of Grapevine, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.9 mlJuly 21, 1952
12km WNW of Tehachapi, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.9 mlJuly 21, 1952
16km S of Arvin, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.5 mlJuly 21, 1952
8km NW of Grapevine, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.9 mlJuly 21, 1952
7 km SSW of Mettler, California · depth 16 km
M 4.7 mhJuly 21, 1952
2km NW of Lebec, CA · depth 6 km
M 5.2 mlJuly 21, 1952
5km SW of Tehachapi, CA · depth 6 km
M 5.2 mlJuly 21, 1952
12km NE of Grapevine, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.8 mlJuly 21, 1952
12km SSE of Arvin, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.5 mlJuly 21, 1952
12km SSE of Arvin, CA · depth 6 km
M 5.2 mhJuly 21, 1952
9km NW of Grapevine, CA · depth 0 km
M 5.4 mhJuly 21, 1952
9km NW of Grapevine, CA · depth 0 km
M 5.8 mhJuly 21, 1952
13km WNW of Grapevine, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.5 mhJuly 21, 1952
11km NW of Grapevine, CA · depth 0 km
M 4.6 mhJuly 21, 1952
11km NW of Grapevine, CA · depth 0 km
M 4.5 mhJuly 21, 1952
11km NW of Grapevine, CA · depth 0 km
M 4.5 mlJuly 21, 1952
9 km SW of Mettler, California · depth 16 km
M 4.5 mhJuly 21, 1952
11km NW of Grapevine, CA · depth 0 km
M 7.5 mwJuly 21, 1952
The 1952 Kern County, California Earthquake · depth 6 km
M 4.6 mlFebruary 13, 1952
4km WSW of San Clemente Is. (SE tip), CA · depth 6 km
M 5.0 mlDecember 28, 1951
36km NNE of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, CA · depth 6 km
M 5.8 mlDecember 26, 1951
11km NNE of San Clemente Is. (SE tip), CA · depth 6 km
M 4.7 mlNovember 14, 1951
6 km SE of Scotia, California
M 4.8 mlNovember 13, 1951
89 km WSW of Ferndale, California
M 4.8 mlOctober 31, 1951
5 km NNW of Hollister, California
M 6.0 mwOctober 8, 1951
53 km SW of Ferndale, California · depth 15 km
M 4.9 mlAugust 6, 1951
21 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California
M 5.0 mlJuly 29, 1951
21 km NE of Soledad, California
M 5.0 mlApril 1, 1951
88 km W of Ferndale, California
M 4.6 mlFebruary 15, 1951
21km SE of Anza, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.7 mlFebruary 15, 1951
11km SE of Anza, CA · depth 3 km
M 4.8 mlJanuary 13, 1951
65 km WSW of Ferndale, California
M 5.6 mlDecember 14, 1950
6 km NNE of Doyle, California
M 4.5 mlDecember 14, 1950
6 km NNE of Doyle, California
M 4.5 mlNovember 14, 1950
17 km NNE of Mineral, California
M 4.6 mlNovember 14, 1950
17 km NNE of Mineral, California
M 4.6 mlOctober 8, 1950
55 km SW of Ferndale, California
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.