List of earthquakes in the United States

The following is a list of notable earthquakes and tsunamis which had their epicenter in areas that are now part of the United States with the latter affecting areas of the United States. Those in italics were not part of the United States when the event occurred.

List of earthquakes

More information Date, State(s) ...


Date	State(s)	Magnitude	Fatalities	Article	Further information
June 11, 1585	Aleutian Islands, Alaska	9.2 M_w	Unknown	1585 Aleutian Islands earthquake
January 26, 1700	Washington, Oregon, California	8.7–9.2 M_w	Unknown	1700 Cascadia earthquake
November 18, 1755	Massachusetts	5.9 M_w	0	1755 Cape Ann earthquake
July 21, 1788	Alaska	8.0 M_s	Unknown	^[1]
August 6, 1788	Alaska	8.0 M_s	Unknown	^[1]
December 16, 1811	Missouri	7.5–8.0 M_w	100−500	1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes
December 8, 1812	California	6.9 M_la, 7.5 M_w	40+	1812 San Juan Capistrano earthquake
December 12, 1812	California	7.1–7.5 M_w	1	1812 Ventura earthquake
June 2, 1823	Hawaii	7.0 M_L	0	^[2]
June 1838	California	6.8–7.2 M_w	0	1838 San Andreas earthquake
January 5, 1843	Arkansas	6.3 M_w	0	^[2]
January 9, 1857	California	7.9 M_w	2	1857 Fort Tejon earthquake
April 24, 1867	Kansas	5.1 M_fa	0	1867 Manhattan, Kansas earthquake
April 2, 1868	Hawaii	7.9 M_fa	77	1868 Hawaii earthquake
October 21, 1868	California	6.3–6.7 M_L	30	1868 Hayward earthquake
February 20, 1871	Hawaii	6.8 M_L	0	1871 Lānaʻi earthquake^[2]
March 26, 1872	California	7.4–7.9 M_w	27	1872 Owens Valley earthquake^[3]
December 14, 1872	Washington	6.5–7.0 M_w	0	1872 North Cascades earthquake
November 23, 1873	California-Oregon	7.3 M_L	0	1873 Oregon-California earthquake^[2]
October 26, 1880	Alaska	7.0 M_s	0	^[1]
November 8, 1882	Colorado	6.6 M_w	0	1882 Fort Collins earthquake^[4]
August 10, 1884	New York	4.9–5.5 M_fa	3	^[1]
August 31, 1886	South Carolina	6.9–7.3 M_w	60	1886 Charleston earthquake
April 19, 1892	California	6.4 M_L	1	1892 Vacaville–Winters earthquakes^[2]
April 21, 1892	California	6.4 M_L	0	1892 Vacaville–Winters earthquakes^[2]
October 31, 1895	Missouri	6.6 M_L	0	1895 Charleston earthquake^[2]
September 4, 1899	Alaska	8.2 M_s	0	1899 Yakutat Bay earthquakes^[1]
September 10, 1899	Alaska	8.2 M_w	0	1899 Yakutat Bay earthquakes^[1]
December 25, 1899	California	6.4 M_s	6	1899 San Jacinto earthquake^[1]
October 9, 1900	Alaska	7.9 M_w	0	^[5]
November 14, 1901	Utah	7.0 M_w	0	1901 Richfield earthquake
December 31, 1901	Alaska	7.8 M_s	0	^[1]
January 1, 1902		7.8 M	0	^[1]
August 27, 1904		7.3 M_s	0	^[2]
April 18, 1906	California	7.9 M_w	3,000+	1906 San Francisco earthquake
August 17, 1906	Alaska	8.4 M_w	0	1906 Aleutian Islands earthquake
September 27, 1909	Indiana	5.1 M_fa	0	1909 Wabash River earthquake
June 23, 1915	California	6.2 M	6	1915 Imperial Valley earthquakes
October 3, 1915	Nevada	6.8 M_w	0	1915 Pleasant Valley earthquake
April 21, 1918	California	6.8 M	0	1918 San Jacinto earthquake
September 29, 1921	Utah	6.3 M_w	0	1921 Sevier Valley earthquake
January 31, 1922	California	7.6 M_GR	0	^[2]
January 22, 1923	California	7.2 M_GR	0	^[2]
June 28, 1925	Montana	6.6 M_w	0	1925 Montana earthquake
June 29, 1925	California	6.5–6.8 M_w	13	1925 Santa Barbara earthquake
October 24, 1927	Alaska	7.3 M_w	0	^[6]
November 4, 1927	California	7.3 M_w	0	1927 Lompoc earthquake^[1]
March 7, 1929	Alaska	7.8 M_w	0	^[7]
August 16, 1931	Texas	6.5 M_w	0	1931 Valentine earthquake
December 21, 1932	Nevada	7.2 M_w	0	1932 Cedar Mountain earthquake^[2]
March 10, 1933	California	6.4 M_w	120	1933 Long Beach earthquake
December 31, 1934	California	7.1 M	0	^[1]
March 12, 1934	Utah	6.6 M_w	2	1934 Hansel Valley earthquake^[8]
October 18, 1935	Montana	6.2 M_s	4	1935 Helena earthquake
July 15, 1936	Oregon, Washington	5.8 M_L	0	1936 State Line earthquake
July 22, 1937	Alaska	7.3 M_s	0	1937 Alaska earthquake^[2]
November 10, 1938	Alaska	8.2 M_w	0	^[9]
May 18, 1940	California	6.9 M_w	9	1940 El Centro earthquake
December 20, 1940	New Hampshire	5.3 M_w	0	1940 New Hampshire earthquakes
December 24, 1940	New Hampshire	5.5 M_w	0	1940 New Hampshire earthquakes
November 3, 1943	Alaska	7.6 M_w	0	^[10]
September 5, 1944	New York	5.8 M_w	0	1944 Cornwall–Massena earthquake
April 1, 1946	Alaska	8.6 M_w	165	1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake
October 16, 1947	Alaska	7.2 M_w	0	^[2]
December 4, 1948	California	6.4 M_w	0	1948 Desert Hot Springs earthquake
April 13, 1949	Washington	6.7 M_w	8	1949 Olympia earthquake
July 21, 1952	California	7.3 M_w	14	1952 Kern County earthquake
July 6, 1954	Nevada	6.6 M_w	0	1954 Rainbow Mountain earthquake^[2]
August 24, 1954		6.8 M_w	0	1954 Stillwater earthquake^[2]
December 16, 1954		7.1 M_w	0	1954 Fairview Peak earthquake^[2]
December 16, 1954		6.8 M_w	0	1954 Dixie Valley earthquake^[2]
March 9, 1957	Alaska	8.6 M_w	0	1957 Andreanof Islands earthquake
April 7, 1958		7.3 M_w	0	1958 Huslia earthquake^[2]
July 9, 1958		7.8 M_w	5 (tsunami)	1958 Lituya Bay earthquake and megatsunami
August 18, 1959	Montana, Wyoming, Idaho	7.2 M_w	28+	1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake
March 27, 1964	Alaska	9.2 M_w	143	1964 Alaska earthquake
February 4, 1965	Alaska	8.7 M_w	0	1965 Rat Islands earthquake
April 29, 1965	Washington	6.7 M_w	7	1965 Puget Sound earthquake
July 2, 1965	Alaska	7.8 M_w	0	^[11]
August 9, 1967	Colorado	5.3	0	Rocky Mountain Arsenal#Deep injection well
November 26, 1967	Colorado	5.2	0	Rocky Mountain Arsenal#Deep injection well
April 8, 1968	California	6.6 M_w	0	1968 Borrego Mountain earthquake
November 9, 1968	Illinois	5.4 mb	0	1968 Illinois earthquake
October 2, 1969	California	5.6, 5.7 M_L	1	1969 Santa Rosa earthquakes	Doublet
February 9, 1971	California	6.5–6.7 M_w	58–65	1971 San Fernando earthquake
July 30, 1972	Alaska	7.6 M_w	0	^[12]
February 2, 1975	Alaska	7.6 M_s	0	1975 Near Islands earthquake
November 29, 1975	Hawaii	7.7 M_w	2	1975 Hawaii earthquake^[13]
November 8, 1980	California	7.2 M_w	5	1980 Eureka earthquake^[14]
May 2, 1983	California	6.5 M_w	0	1983 Coalinga earthquake
November 16, 1983	Hawaii	6.7 M_w	0	1983 Kaoiki earthquake^[2]
October 28, 1983	Idaho	7.3 M_w	2	1983 Borah Peak earthquake
April 24, 1984	California	6.2 M_w	0	1984 Morgan Hill earthquake
January 31, 1986	Ohio	5.0 M_w	0	1986 Ohio earthquake
May 7, 1986	Alaska	8.0 M_w	0	^[15]^[16]
July 8, 1986	California	6.0 M_w	0	1986 North Palm Springs earthquake
July 21, 1986		6.4 M_L	0	1986 Chalfant Valley earthquake^[17]
October 1, 1987		5.9 M_w	8	1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake
November 23, 1987		6.2 M_s	0	1987 Superstition Hills earthquakes^[1]
November 24, 1987		6.6 M_w	2	1987 Superstition Hills earthquakes^[1]
November 30, 1987	Alaska	7.9 M_w	0	^[18]
March 6, 1988	Alaska	7.8 M_w	0	^[19]
October 17, 1989	California	6.9 M_w	63	1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
September 4, 1989	Alaska	7.1 M_w	0	^[20]
May 30, 1991	Alaska	7.0 M_w	0	^[21]
June 28, 1991	California	5.6 M_w	2	1991 Sierra Madre earthquake
August 17, 1991	Oregon	7.0 M_h	0	^[22]
April 23, 1992	California	6.3 M_s	0	1992 Joshua Tree earthquake^[1]
April 25–26, 1992		6.5–7.2 M_w	0	1992 Cape Mendocino earthquakes
June 28, 1992		7.3 M_w	3	1992 Landers earthquake
June 28, 1992		6.5 M_w	0	1992 Big Bear earthquake
September 2, 1992	Utah	5.8 M_L	0	1992 St. George earthquake^[23]
March 25, 1993	Oregon	5.6 M_d	0	1993 Scotts Mills earthquake
September 20, 1993	Oregon	6.0 M_d	2	1993 Klamath Falls earthquakes
January 17, 1994	California	6.7 M_w	57	1994 Northridge earthquake
September 1, 1994	California	7.0 M_w	0	1994 Northern California earthquake^[24]
April 14, 1995	Texas	5.7 M_w	0	1995 Marathon earthquake
June 10, 1996	Alaska	7.9 M_wc	0	^[25]
September 25, 1998	Pennsylvania	5.2 mb_Lg	0	1998 Pymatuning earthquake
October 16, 1999	California	7.1 M_w	0	1999 Hector Mine earthquake
December 6, 1999	Alaska	7.0 M_w	0	^[26]
January 10, 2001	Alaska	7.0 M_w	0	^[27]
February 28, 2001	Washington	6.8 M_d	1	2001 Nisqually earthquake
November 3, 2002	Alaska	7.9 M_w	0	2002 Denali earthquake
November 17, 2003	Alaska	7.8 M_wc	0	2003 Alaska earthquake^[28]
December 22, 2003	California	6.5 M_w	2	2003 San Simeon earthquake
June 15, 2005	California	7.2 M_wc	0	^[29]
September 10, 2006	Florida	5.9 M_wc	0	2006 Gulf of Mexico earthquake
October 15, 2006	Hawaii	6.7 M_d	0	2006 Kiholo Bay earthquake
October 30, 2007	California	5.5 M_w	0	2007 Alum Rock earthquake
February 21, 2008	Nevada	5.9 M_w	0	2008 Wells earthquake
April 18, 2008	Illinois	5.2 M_w	0	2008 Illinois earthquake
July 29, 2008	California	5.4 M_w	0	2008 Chino Hills earthquake
January 9, 2010		6.5 M_w	0	2010 Eureka earthquake
April 4, 2010		7.2 M_w	0	2010 Baja California earthquake
August 22, 2011	Colorado	5.3 M_wr	0	2011 Colorado earthquake
August 23, 2011	Virginia	5.8 M_w	0	2011 Virginia earthquake
November 5, 2011	Oklahoma	5.7 M_ww	0	2011 Oklahoma earthquake
January 5, 2013	Alaska	7.5 M_w	0	2013 Craig, Alaska earthquake^[30]
March 10, 2014	California	6.9 M_w	0	2014 Cape Mendocino earthquake^[31]
March 29, 2014	California	5.1 M_w	0	2014 La Habra earthquake
June 23, 2014	Alaska	7.9 M_ww	0	2014 Aleutian Islands earthquake
July 25, 2014	Alaska	6.0 M_w	0	2014 Palma Bay earthquake
August 24, 2014	California	6.0 M_w	1	2014 South Napa earthquake
January 24, 2016	Alaska	7.1 M_w	0	2016 Old Iliamna earthquake
September 3, 2016	Oklahoma	5.8 M_ww	0	2016 Oklahoma earthquake
January 23, 2018	Alaska	7.9 M_ww	0	2018 Gulf of Alaska earthquake
May 4, 2018	Hawaii	6.9 M_ww	0	2018 Hawaii earthquake
November 30, 2018	Alaska	7.1 M_ww	0	2018 Anchorage earthquake
July 4, 2019	California	6.4 M_w	1	2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes
July 5, 2019	California	7.1 M_w	0	2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes
March 18, 2020	Utah	5.7 M_w	0	2020 Salt Lake City earthquake
March 31, 2020	Idaho	6.5 M_ww	0	2020 Central Idaho earthquake
May 15, 2020	Nevada	6.5 M_L	0	2020 Monte Cristo Range earthquake^[32]
July 22, 2020	Alaska	7.8 M_w	0	2020 Alaska Peninsula earthquake^[33]
August 9, 2020	North Carolina	5.1 M_w	0	2020 Sparta earthquake^[34]
October 19, 2020	Alaska	7.6 M_ww	0	2021 Chignik earthquake § October 2020^[35]
July 29, 2021	Alaska	8.2 M_w	0	2021 Chignik earthquake^[36]
December 20, 2022	California	6.4 M_w	2	2022 Ferndale earthquake^[37]
April 5, 2024	New Jersey	4.8 M_w	0	2024 New Jersey earthquake^[38]
December 5, 2024	California	7.0 M_w	0	2024 Cape Mendocino earthquake^[39]

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Earthquake swarms which affected the United States:

1962–71 Denver earthquake swarm^[40]
Enola earthquake swarm
2008 Reno earthquakes
Guy-Greenbrier earthquake swarm
Oklahoma earthquake swarms (2009–present)

Earthquakes which affected the United States but whose epicenters were outside the United States borders:

1925 Charlevoix–Kamouraska earthquake – magnitude 6.2 earthquake, no injuries or fatalities anywhere
1979 Imperial Valley earthquake – magnitude 6.4 earthquake with an epicenter less than 1 km inside Mexico – significant damage and injuries on both sides of the border (60 in the US)
2010 Baja California earthquake (Mexico near S California) – magnitude 7.2 earthquake, 4 fatalities and 100 injuries, none in the United States

Earthquakes which did not affect the United States directly, but caused tsunamis which did:

1960 Valdivia earthquake and tsunami – magnitude 9.5 earthquake, between 2200 and 6000 fatalities, including 61 in Hilo, HI
2006 Kuril Islands earthquake and tsunami – magnitude 8.3 earthquake, no injuries or fatalities anywhere
2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami – magnitude 8.0 earthquake with an epicenter 120 miles (190 km) southwest of American Samoa generated tsunami waves up to 16 feet (5 m), killing 34 people in American Samoa and causing extensive damage^[41]
2010 Chile earthquake and tsunami – magnitude 8.8 earthquake, ~525 fatalities and unknown number of injuries, none in the United States
2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami – magnitude 9.0 earthquake, 15,850–28,000 fatalities and 6,011 injured, one fatality and unknown number of injuries in the United States
2012 Haida Gwaii earthquake – magnitude 7.8 earthquake with an epicenter on Moresby Island in British Columbia, the second-largest Canadian earthquake ever recorded by a seismometer. Over 100,000 people were evacuated to higher ground in the state of Hawai'i.

List of strongest earthquakes by states and territories

Noted, magnitudes are reported on the moment magnitude scale (M_w) unless otherwise indicated.

More information State, Magnitude ...


State	Magnitude	Date	Further information
Alabama	5.1 M_L	October 18, 1916	1916 Irondale earthquake
Alaska	9.2	March 27, 1964	1964 Alaska earthquake
American Samoa	8.3–8.5	June 26, 1917	1917 Samoa earthquake
Arizona	7.6	May 3, 1887	1887 Sonora earthquake
Arkansas	7.6–7.9	December 16, 1811	1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes
California	7.9	January 9, 1857 April 16, 1906	1857 Fort Tejon earthquake, 1906 San Francisco earthquake
Colorado	6.6	November 8, 1882	1882 Fort Collins earthquake
Connecticut	4.4–5.0 M_s	May 16, 1791	^[42]
Delaware	4.1 M_L	November 30, 2017	^[43]
District of Columbia	5.8	August 23, 2011	2011 Virginia earthquake
Florida	4.4	January 12, 1879	^[44]
Georgia (U.S. state)	4.5	March 5, 1914	^[45]
Guam	8.1	September 22, 1902	^[1]
Hawaii	7.9	April 2, 1868	1868 Hawaii earthquake
Idaho	6.9	October 28, 1983	1983 Borah Peak earthquake
Illinois	5.3	November 9, 1968	1968 Illinois earthquake
Indiana	5.1	September 27, 1909	1909 Wabash River earthquake
Iowa	5.0–5.1	November 12, 1934	^[46]
Kansas	5.1	April 24, 1867	1867 Manhattan, Kansas earthquake
Kentucky	7.6–7.9	December 16, 1811	1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes
Louisiana	4.9	March 5, 2026	^[47]
Maine	5.9	March 21, 1904	^[48]
Maryland	5.8	August 23, 2011	2011 Virginia earthquake
Massachusetts	5.9	November 18, 1755	1755 Cape Ann earthquake
Michigan	4.6 M_L	August 10, 1947	^[49]
Minnesota	4.6 M_L	July 9, 1975	1975 Morris earthquake
Mississippi	7.6–7.9	December 16, 1811	1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes
Missouri	7.6–7.9	December 16, 1811	1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes
Montana	7.2	August 17, 1959	1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake
Nebraska	5.6 M_I	November 15, 1877	^[50]^[51]^[52]
Nevada	7.3	December 16, 1954	1954 Fairview earthquake
New Hampshire	6.5	June 1, 1638	1638 New Hampshire earthquake
New Jersey	5.3	November 29, 1783	1783 New Jersey earthquake
New Mexico	6.2	November 15, 1906	^[53]
New York	5.8	September 5, 1944	1944 Cornwall–Massena earthquake
North Carolina	5.2	February 21, 1916	^[54]
North Dakota	4.4	July 8, 1968	^[55]
Ohio	5.4	March 9, 1937	^[56]
Oklahoma	5.8	September 3, 2016	2016 Oklahoma earthquake
Oregon	8.7–9.2	January 26, 1700	1700 Cascadia earthquake
Pennsylvania	5.2	September 25, 1998	1998 Pymatuning earthquake
Puerto Rico	8.0–8.3	May 2, 1787	1787 Boricua earthquake
Rhode Island	4.7	June 10, 1951	^[57]
South Carolina	6.9–7.3	August 31, 1886	1886 Charleston earthquake
South Dakota	4.5	June 2, 1911	^[58]
Tennessee	7.6–7.9	December 16, 1811	1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes
Texas	6.5	August 16, 1931	1931 Valentine earthquake
Utah	7.0	November 13, 1901	1901 Richfield earthquake
U.S. Virgin Islands	7.5	November 18, 1867	1867 Virgin Islands earthquake and tsunami
Vermont	4.0	March 31, 1953	^[59]
Virginia	5.8 5.8–5.9	August 23, 2011 May 31, 1897	2011 Virginia earthquake 1897 Giles County earthquake
Washington (state)	8.7–9.2	January 26, 1700	1700 Cascadia earthquake
West Virginia	5.8	August 23, 2011	2011 Virginia earthquake
Wisconsin	4.2^[60]	May 6, 1947	1947 Wisconsin earthquake
Wyoming	7.2	August 17, 1959	1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake