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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 6.0 mwSeptember 28, 2004
2004 Parkfield, California Earthquake · depth 8 km
M 4.7 mwSeptember 20, 2004
27 km NNW of Benton, California · depth 2 km
M 5.3 mwSeptember 18, 2004
27 km NW of Benton, California · depth 0 km
M 5.4 mwSeptember 18, 2004
27 km NW of Benton, California · depth 3 km
M 4.8 mwrJune 22, 2004
261 km WSW of Crescent City, California · depth 10 km
M 5.0 mwJune 15, 2004
67km SE of San Clemente Is. (SE tip), CA · depth 10 km
M 4.5 mwMarch 17, 2004
9 km WSW of Oak Shores, California · depth 4 km
M 4.6 mbFebruary 29, 2004
260 km W of Ferndale, California · depth 11 km
M 4.6 mwFebruary 18, 2004
4 km WNW of Cobb, California · depth 3 km
M 4.7 mwDecember 23, 2003
9 km NNE of Cambria, California · depth 8 km
M 4.7 mlDecember 22, 2003
7 km NNE of Cambria, California · depth 8 km
M 6.5 mwDecember 22, 2003
10 km NE of San Simeon, California · depth 8 km
M 4.5 mwOctober 9, 2003
83 km W of Trinidad, California · depth 6 km
M 5.0 mwAugust 15, 2003
100 km WNW of Indianola, California · depth 8 km
M 4.6 mlMarch 11, 2003
25km NNW of Twentynine Palms, CA · depth 3 km
M 4.6 mlFebruary 25, 2003
6km N of Big Bear City, CA · depth 1 km
M 4.5 mlFebruary 22, 2003
5km N of Big Bear City, CA · depth 1 km
M 5.0 mwFebruary 22, 2003
6km N of Big Bear City, CA · depth 6 km
M 4.5 mlJanuary 25, 2003
20km NE of Arvin, CA · depth 5 km
M 4.6 mwJanuary 8, 2003
72 km WSW of Ferndale, California · depth 7 km
M 4.8 mlOctober 29, 2002
13km NW of Ludlow, CA · depth 4 km
M 4.8 mlSeptember 3, 2002
4km NE of Yorba Linda, CA · depth 9 km
M 5.2 mwJune 17, 2002
29 km WNW of Fields Landing, California · depth 17 km
M 4.9 mwMay 14, 2002
5 km SSW of Gilroy, California · depth 7 km
M 4.6 mwApril 29, 2002
15 km W of Ferndale, California · depth 29 km
M 4.6 mlMarch 16, 2002
33km NW of Santa Barbara Is., CA · depth 7 km
M 4.6 mlJanuary 7, 2002
247 km W of Ferndale, California · depth 28 km
M 4.8 mbJanuary 7, 2002
240 km W of Ferndale, California · depth 23 km
M 4.8 msJanuary 7, 2002
252 km W of Ferndale, California · depth 24 km
M 4.6 mwDecember 28, 2001
17 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · depth 7 km
M 5.3 mwcNovember 30, 2001
217 km W of Ferndale, California · depth 4 km
M 5.0 mwOctober 31, 2001
16km ESE of Anza, CA · depth 14 km
M 4.7 mdSeptember 20, 2001
107 km WSW of Ferndale, California · depth 22 km
M 5.2 mwAugust 10, 2001
3 km N of Blairsden, California · depth 5 km
M 4.9 mwJuly 17, 2001
7km ESE of Coso Junction, CA · depth -1 km
M 5.2 mwJuly 17, 2001
7km ESE of Coso Junction, CA · depth 2 km
M 4.6 mbMarch 22, 2001
162 km W of Ferndale, California · depth 10 km
M 4.7 mwFebruary 10, 2001
6km NNW of Big Bear Lake, CA · depth 8 km
M 5.4 mwJanuary 13, 2001
off the coast of Northern California · depth 2 km
M 4.9 mwSeptember 3, 2000
5 km WSW of Yountville, California · depth 9 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.