US state · live catalogue
Earthquakes in California
In the last 30 days, 70 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater were recorded in California; the largest was a magnitude 4.8 earthquake 108 km W of Fortuna, California, United States on 29 Sep 2026.
Data: USGS, GFZ · updated · sources and licences
- 24 hours
- 72
- all magnitudes
- 7 days
- 13
- M2.5+
- 30 days
- 70
- M2.5+
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Last 24 hours
Earlier this week, magnitude 2.5 and above
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Largest in the last 30 days
| Mag | Location | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|---|
| 4.8mw | 108 km W of Fortuna, California, United States2 agencies | |
| 3.8mw | 14 km N of Simi Valley, California, United States | |
| 3.8mwr | 92 km ENE of Susanville, California, United States | |
| 3.7mw | 28 km WSW of Ukiah, California, United States | |
| 3.6mw | 7 km WSW of Hermosa Beach, California, United States | |
| 3.5mw | 46 km SW of Fortuna, California, United States | |
| 3.5ml | 31 km SW of Dana Point, California, United States | |
| 3.4ml | 41 km ENE of Fort Bragg, California, United States | |
| 3.3mwr | 89 km ENE of Susanville, California, United States | |
| 3.3mw | 29 km WSW of Patterson, California, United States |
Where they occurred
Largest since 1900
Magnitude 6 and above in California.
Loading the historical catalogue…
About earthquakes in California
California sits on the boundary between the Pacific and North American plates. Most of the motion is taken up by the San Andreas fault system, which runs for about 1,200 km from the Salton Sea to Cape Mendocino, together with many parallel faults such as the Hayward, San Jacinto and Garlock faults.
Notable earthquakes include the 1906 San Francisco earthquake (about M7.9), Loma Prieta in 1989 (M6.9), Northridge in 1994 (M6.7) and the 2019 Ridgecrest sequence (M7.1). The dense monitoring network records thousands of small earthquakes every month, most of them too small to feel.
California, Oregon and Washington are covered by the USGS ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system, which can send alerts to phones seconds before strong shaking arrives.
Local monitoring and information: Southern California Seismic Network (Caltech/USGS).
Earthquake preparedness checklist · Earthquakes today worldwide
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Questions
How many earthquakes happen in California?
In the last 30 days, 70 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater were recorded in California, 13 of them in the last 7 days. In the last 24 hours, 72 earthquakes of any magnitude were recorded. Most small earthquakes are not felt.
What was the largest recent earthquake in California?
The largest in the last 30 days was a magnitude 4.8 earthquake 108 km W of Fortuna, California, United States on 29 Sep 2026, at a depth of 10 km.
What is the largest earthquake recorded in California since 1900?
According to the USGS catalogue, the largest was a magnitude 7.9 earthquake on 18 Apr 1906 (The 1906 San Francisco, California Earthquake). Magnitudes of early 20th-century earthquakes are less certain than modern ones.
How deep are earthquakes in California?
100% of the magnitude 2.5+ earthquakes recorded in California in the last 30 days were shallower than 70 km. Shallow earthquakes generally cause stronger shaking at the surface than deep ones of the same magnitude.
Where can I get official earthquake information for California?
For official information, warnings and safety advice, follow Southern California Seismic Network (Caltech/USGS) (https://www.scsn.org/) and your local civil protection authority. This site compiles agency reports and is not a warning service.
How are earthquakes assigned to California on this page?
An earthquake is listed in California when the nearest town to its epicentre, within 200 km, is in the state. Earthquakes farther offshore are not included. Counts of magnitude 2.5 and above are comparable between states; smaller earthquakes depend on how dense the local seismic network is.
Can earthquakes be predicted?
No. Scientists can estimate how likely strong shaking is in a region over years or decades, but no method predicts the time, place and size of a specific earthquake. Aftershocks are expected after large earthquakes and become less frequent over time.