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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 4.6 ukMarch 3, 1917
Near Eureka, California
M 5.9 mhNovember 10, 1916
Death Valley area, California
M 5.5 mlOctober 23, 1916
Southwest of Tejon Pass, California
M 6.0 mwOctober 23, 1916
Tejon Pass, California
M 5.7 mfaSeptember 30, 1916
Eastern San Diego County, California
M 5.8 mfaAugust 6, 1916
Near Paicines, California
M 4.5 mlJuly 16, 1916
South of Barstow, California
M 4.5 mlJuly 5, 1916
Near Ferndale, California
M 6.4 mwDecember 31, 1915
187 km W of Trinidad, California · depth 15 km
M 6.6 mwNovember 21, 1915
Baja California-Sonora Border Region, Mexico · depth 10 km
M 4.5 mlOctober 8, 1915
Near Piedmont, California
M 5.9 mwJune 23, 1915
The 1915 Imperial Valley, California Earthquakes (Second Major Event)
M 6.0 mwJune 23, 1915
The 1915 Imperial Valley, California Earthquakes (First Major Event)
M 5.0 mlMay 29, 1915
5 km S of Springville, California
M 6.3 mwMay 6, 1915
237 km WSW of Ferndale, California · depth 15 km
M 5.0 mlApril 5, 1915
Near Coleville, California
M 4.5 mlApril 5, 1915
Near Coleville, California
M 5.7 mlJanuary 12, 1915
Near Los Alamos, California
M 4.5 mlDecember 28, 1914
Santa Cruz Mountains, California
M 5.5 mlNovember 9, 1914
Santa Cruz Mountains, California
M 4.5 mlSeptember 12, 1912
Santa Cruz Mountains, California
M 4.5 mlAugust 31, 1912
Eastern El Dorado County, California
M 5.5 mlJanuary 5, 1912
4 km SSW of Bishop, California
M 4.5 mlAugust 11, 1911
San Jacinto Mountains, California
M 6.5 mwJuly 1, 1911
Near Morgan Hill, California · depth 10 km
M 4.5 mlMarch 11, 1911
Near Hollister, California
M 5.7 mlDecember 31, 1910
Monterey Bay area, California
M 6.0 mlMay 15, 1910
The 1910 Lake Elsinore, California Earthquake
M 5.0 mlMay 13, 1910
Near Lake Elsinore, California
M 6.0 mlMay 6, 1910
Near Bishop, California
M 5.0 mlApril 11, 1910
Near Lake Elsinore, California
M 6.0 msMarch 19, 1910
Offshore Humboldt County, California
M 5.8 msMarch 11, 1910
Near Watsonville, California
M 4.5 mlNovember 22, 1909
South of Hollister, California
M 6.0 mwOctober 29, 1909
Near Rio Dell, California
M 5.9 mlJune 23, 1909
West of Downieville, California
M 5.0 mlMarch 3, 1909
Nevada County, California
M 4.5 mlFebruary 14, 1909
Near Rio Vista, California
M 6.0 msNovember 4, 1908
Death Valley area, California
M 5.8 mfaAugust 18, 1908
Near Eureka, 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.