Home / Earthquakes / California
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
'00
'10
'20
'30
'40
'50
'60
'70
'80
'90
'00
'10
'20
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 mlDecember 24, 1934
14km N of San Miguel, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.7 mlDecember 17, 1934
27km SW of Lompoc, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.8 mlDecember 15, 1934
3 km W of Fortuna, California
M 4.5 mlDecember 3, 1934
34km SSW of King City, CA · depth 6 km
M 5.0 mlNovember 17, 1934
2 km E of Rio Dell, California
M 6.8 mwJuly 6, 1934
off the coast of Northern California · depth 15 km
M 4.5 mlJune 14, 1934
14 km SE of Parkfield, California · depth 16 km
M 4.5 mlJune 8, 1934
14 km SE of Parkfield, California · depth 16 km
M 5.8 mlJune 8, 1934
1934 Parkfield, California Earthquake · depth 6 km
M 5.1 mlJune 8, 1934
13km N of San Miguel, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.5 mlJune 6, 1934
3 km WSW of Keddie, California
M 4.8 mlJune 5, 1934
12km SW of Parkfield, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.6 mlMarch 2, 1934
22km WNW of Westmorland, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.5 mlJanuary 20, 1934
11 km WSW of Huntington Beach, California · depth 16 km
M 4.5 mlJanuary 9, 1934
2 km NNE of Montclair, California · depth 16 km
M 5.0 ukDecember 13, 1933
3 km SW of Los Gatos, California
M 4.8 mlOctober 2, 1933
2km N of Signal Hill, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.6 ukSeptember 28, 1933
9 km WSW of Redway, California
M 4.6 mlAugust 6, 1933
16km NNW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.6 mlJune 22, 1933
36km N of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.5 mlMay 16, 1933
1 km ENE of Union City, California
M 4.7 mlMarch 15, 1933
2km N of Huntington Beach, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.8 mlMarch 14, 1933
2km WSW of Huntington Beach, CA · depth 8 km
M 4.5 mlMarch 14, 1933
2 km ENE of Seal Beach, California · depth 16 km
M 4.8 mlMarch 13, 1933
2km SSE of Westminster, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.7 mlMarch 13, 1933
2 km ENE of Seal Beach, California · depth 16 km
M 4.5 mlMarch 12, 1933
2 km ENE of Seal Beach, California · depth 16 km
M 4.5 mlMarch 12, 1933
2 km ENE of Seal Beach, California · depth 16 km
M 4.6 mlMarch 12, 1933
2 km ENE of Seal Beach, California · depth 16 km
M 4.5 mlMarch 11, 1933
4km S of Westminster, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.9 mlMarch 11, 1933
0 km SW of Gardena, California · depth 16 km
M 5.0 mlMarch 11, 1933
2 km NE of Carson, California · depth 16 km
M 4.6 mlMarch 11, 1933
2 km WNW of Seal Beach, California · depth 16 km
M 4.8 mhMarch 11, 1933
3km SSE of Garden Grove, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.9 mhMarch 11, 1933
1km NNW of Huntington Beach, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.5 mlMarch 11, 1933
2 km ENE of Seal Beach, California · depth 16 km
M 5.3 mhMarch 11, 1933
7km W of Newport Beach, CA · depth 6 km
M 5.0 mhMarch 11, 1933
2km ENE of Westminster, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.7 mlMarch 11, 1933
2 km ENE of Seal Beach, California · depth 16 km
M 4.9 mhMarch 11, 1933
1km WSW of Westminster, 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.