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US · Place
Earthquake in Los Angeles today: quakes nearby
Check whether an earthquake was reported near Los Angeles today. Change the search radius to compare nearby epicentres, magnitudes and depths.
Los Angeles · US · GeoNames 5368361 · Search radius: 100 km
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Latest earthquakes
UpdatedUpdates every minute while this page is visible
No known events in this window
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
- M 1.1Stevenson Ranch
- Strongest in 30 days
- M 1.1Stevenson Ranch
- Earthquakes in the catalogue
- 144USGS
- Magnitude 4.5 or larger
- 0M ≥ 4.5
Earthquakes within 100 km of Los Angeles. Data from USGS, updated automatically. This is not a warning; official alerts come from national authorities. Times are shown in Pacific Time (PST/PDT).
Earthquake risk in Los Angeles
Faults beneath the city
Los Angeles sits on a dense network of faults. Blind thrust faults such as the one under Northridge and the Puente Hills fault under downtown do not reach the surface. The 1994 Northridge earthquake (M6.7) damaged freeways and buildings across the San Fernando Valley.
The southern San Andreas
The San Andreas Fault passes about 50 km north-east of downtown. It last ruptured near Los Angeles in 1857; scientists expect a large earthquake there in the future but cannot say when.
Building lessons
The 1933 Long Beach earthquake led to the Field Act for school buildings, and the 1971 San Fernando earthquake to stricter rules for hospitals and freeways. Older soft-story apartment buildings and non-ductile concrete buildings are now being retrofitted under city ordinances.
Major earthquakes
Notable earthquakes near Los Angeles in the USGS catalogue (local dates):
- 6.7Mw
- 6.6Mw
- 6.4Mw
- 7.5Mw
- 7.1Mw
If an earthquake strikes in Los Angeles
During shaking: drop, cover and hold on. Do not run outside; most injuries happen from falling objects and glass.
ShakeAlert warnings reach phones through Wireless Emergency Alerts and the MyShake app. A warning may give a few seconds — enough to drop, cover and hold on.
Frequently asked questions
Was there an earthquake in Los Angeles today?
The first panel shows the latest earthquake within 100 km of Los Angeles in the catalogue, in Pacific Time. The Southern California Seismic Network (Caltech/USGS) publishes the official record; magnitudes can differ slightly.
I felt shaking in Los Angeles but it is not listed — why?
Small earthquakes can take a few minutes to appear, and an earthquake felt in Los Angeles may be more than 100 km away. Widen the radius, compare the time, and check the Southern California Earthquake Data Center.
What was the worst earthquake in Los Angeles?
In recent decades, the 1994 Northridge earthquake (M6.7), the costliest in US history at the time.
Latest known event
Latest known event · America/Los_Angeles
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.
Los Angeles · US · America/Los_Angeles · 3,820,914 · GeoNames 5368361