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Earthquake today in the United States
Check for earthquakes in the United States today, including Alaska, California and Hawaii. See reported origin time, magnitude, depth and source.
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Latest earthquakes
UpdatedUpdates every minute while this page is visible
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This describes the available catalogue, not an all-clear. Try a longer period or check the latest known event below.
The last 30 days
- Latest recorded earthquake
- No records in 30 days
- Strongest in 30 days
- No records in 30 days
- Earthquakes in the catalogue
- 0USGS
- Magnitude 4.5 or larger
- 0M ≥ 4.5
Data from USGS, updated automatically. This is not a warning; official alerts come from national authorities. Times are shown in UTC because the United States spans six time zones; the event pages show local details.
Where earthquakes happen in the United States
Alaska and the Aleutians
Most large US earthquakes happen in Alaska, where the Pacific Plate dives beneath North America. The 1964 Great Alaska earthquake (M9.2) is the largest recorded in the US and the second largest worldwide; Anchorage was shaken again by an M7.1 in 2018.
California and the Pacific Northwest
The San Andreas fault system produced the 1906 San Francisco (M7.9), 1989 Loma Prieta (M6.9) and 1994 Northridge (M6.7) earthquakes. Off Oregon and Washington the Cascadia subduction zone last ruptured in a magnitude-9 earthquake in 1700.
Hawaii and the interior
Hawaii's volcanoes generate earthquakes such as the 1975 Kalapana (M7.7) and 2018 Kīlauea (M6.9) events. The central US is quieter, but the New Madrid seismic zone produced several strong earthquakes in 1811–1812.
Major earthquakes
Key earthquakes in the United States, checked against the USGS catalogue (local dates):
- 9.2Mw
- 7.9Mw
- 6.7Mw
- 6.9Mw
- 7.1Mw
- 7.7Mw
Alerts and safety
ShakeAlert can send earthquake early warnings to phones in California, Oregon and Washington, seconds before strong shaking arrives. Tsunami warnings come from the NOAA tsunami warning centers.
During shaking: drop, cover and hold on. On the coast, strong or long shaking is a natural tsunami warning: move inland or to high ground.
Frequently asked questions
Was there an earthquake today in the US?
The first panel shows the latest earthquake in the catalogue. Use the California, Alaska and Hawaii pages for regional lists.
What was the largest earthquake in US history?
The 27 March 1964 Great Alaska earthquake, magnitude 9.2.
Is the 'Big One' expected in California?
The USGS estimates a high long-term probability of a large earthquake in California, but no one can predict the date.
Latest known event
Latest known event · America/New_York
Sources and coverage
Source: USGS · GeoNames · CC BY 4.0 · Natural Earth
The location is the reported epicentre. Offshore context is separate from a position inside a country. Small-event coverage varies by region.
Historical context
The historical catalogue includes USGS M6+ from 1900, M4.5+ from 1970 and delivered events since the project began. It is not a complete record of all small earthquakes.
Explore by country
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Explore by country · United States
Recent reports include epicentres within the United States. Use the links to Alaska, California and Hawaii for more specific views. For coastal events, check the nearby search or the world map. A regional network may publish extra details about a small local earthquake.