California's Big Earthquakes

​​​Below is a table of California's significant earthquakes. These are earthquakes of magnitude greater than or equal to 6.5, or that caused loss of life o​r more than $200,000 in damage. We have not adjusted damage estimates for inflation. This table includes significant earthquakes having epicenters outside of California but within approximately 100 miles of California's border.

Date​​
Magnitude
Name, Location, or Region Affected
Epicenter Latitude Epicenter Longitude Remarks, Loss of Life and Property
2022, December 20 6.4 Ferndale offshore 40.53 -124.42 2 dead (indirectly); economic losses estimated in the hundreds of millions (US$).​
2020, May 15 6.5 Monte Cristo Range, NV 37.81 -117.64
2019, July 5 7.1 Ridgecrest 35.77 -117.60 1 dead; estimate of economic losses $5.3 billion. Preceded by M6.4 foreshock on July 4.
2016, December 8 6.5 Ferndale offshore 40.48 -126.15
2014, August 24 6.0 South Napa 38.22 -122.31 2 dead; economic losses estimated at $443 million to $800 million
2014, March 9 6.8 Ferndale 40.83 -125.13
2010, April 4 7.2 Calexico 32.26 -115.29
2010, January 9 6.5 Ferndale 40.65 -124.76
2003, December 22 6.5 San Simeon 35.71 -121.10
1999, October 16 7.1 Bullion Mountains (Hector Mine) 34.60 -116.27 Minimal injuries and damage due to sparse population in affected area
1994, September 1 7.0 Offshore, about 70 miles W of Cape Mendocino 40.40 -125.68
1994, January 17 6.7 Northridge 34.21 -118.54 57 dead; more than 9,000 injured; about $40 billion in property damage
1992, June 28 7.3 Landers 34.20 -116.44 1 dead; 402 injured; $91.1 million in property damage
1992, June 28 6.5 Big Bear 34.17 -116.83 Included with Landers losses
1992, April 25 7.2 Cape Mendocino 40.33 -124.23 356 injured; $48.3 million in property damage. Followed the next day by two aftershocks of magnitude 6.6 and 6.5
1991, August 17 7.0 Offshore, about 100 miles NW of Eureka 41.71 -125.63 Preceded by two quakes (M6.3 and M6.2) on August 16 and 17
1991, July 12 6.6 Offshore west of Crescent City 42.02 -125.72
1989, October 17 6.9 Loma Prieta 37.04 -121.88 63 dead; 3,737 injured; $6 billion in property damage
1987, November 24 6.2 Superstition Hills 33.09 -115.79 $3 million in property damage
1987, November 24 6.6 Superstition Hills 33.01 -115.85 Included with losses reported above
1987, October 1 6.0 Whittier Narrows 34.07 -118.08 8 dead; $358 million in property damage to 10,500 homes and businesses
1986, July 21 6.4 Chalfant Valley 37.54 -118.44 $2.7 million in property damage
1984, April 24 6.2 Morgan Hill 37.31 -121.68 $8 million in property damage
1983, May 2 6.4 Coalinga 36.23 -120.31
1980, November 8 7.4 West of Eureka 41.12 -124.67 6 injured; $2 million in property damage
1980, May 25 6.3 Mammoth Lakes 37.60 -118.85 9 injured; $2 million in property damage
1979, October 15 6.5 Imperial Valley 32.61 -115.32 9 injured; $30 million in property damage
1976, November 26 6.8 Offshore, about 100 mi WNW of Eureka 41.29 -125.71
1971, February 9 6.6 San Fernando 34.41 -118.40 65 dead; more than 2,000 injured; $505 million in losses
1968, April 8 6.6 Borrego Mountain 33.19 -116.13
1956, February 9 6.5 In Mexico, about 80 miles SW of El Centro 31.75 -115.92
1954, December 21 6.6 East of Arcata 40.93 -123.78 1 dead; several injured; $2.1 million in property damage
1954, December 16 7.3 Fairview Peak, near Fallon, NV 39.28 -118.12
1954, December 16 7.1 Dixie Valley, near Fallon, NV 39.80 -118.10
1954, August 24 6.8 Rainbow Mountain, near Fallon, NV 39.58 -118.45
1954, July 6 6.8 Rainbow Mountain, near Fallon, NV 39.42 -118.53
1952, July 21 7.3 Kern County earthquake 35.00 -119.02 12 dead; $60 million in property damage
1947, April 10 6.5 East of Yermo 34.98 -116.55
1942, October 21 6.6 West of Westmorland 32.97 -116.00
1941, February 9 6.6 Offshore, about 65 miles W of Eureka 40.70 -125.40
1940, May 19 7.0 Imperial Valley 32.73 -115.50 9 dead; $6 million in property damage
1934, December 31 7.0 In Mexico, about 100 miles SE of El Centro 32.00 -114.75
1934, December 30 6.5 In Mexico, about 40 miles S of El Centro 32.25 -115.50
1934, July 6 6.5 Offshore, about 100 mi WNW of Eureka 41.25 -125.75
1933, March 11 6.4 Long Beach 33.70 -118.00 115 dead; $40 million in property damage
1932, December 21 7.2 Cedar Mountain, near Gabbs, NV 38.75 -118.00
1927, November 4 7.1 40 km west of Lompoc 34.60 -120.90 Damage in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties
1925, June 29 6.8 Santa Barbara 34.30 -119.80 13 dead; $8 million in property damage
1923, January 22 7.2 Off Cape Mendocino 40.40 -124.90 Destructive in Humboldt County; strongly felt in Reno
1922, January 31 7.3 Offshore, about 70 mi W of Eureka 41.00 -125.50
1918, July 15 6.5 Offshore, about 40 W of Eureka 41.00 -125.00
1918, April 21 6.8 San Jacinto 33.75 -117.00 1 dead; several injuries; $200,000 in property damage
1915, November 21 6.6 In Mexico, about 60 miles S of El Centro 32.00 -115.00
1911, July 1 6.6 Morgan Hill area 37.25 -121.75
1906, April 18 7.8 Great San Francisco Earthquake (and Fire) 37.70 -122.50 3,000 dead; $524 million in property damage; includes damage from fire
1899, December 25 6.7 San Jacinto and Hemet 33.80 -117.00 6 dead; $50,000 in property damage
1899, July 22 6.4 Wrightwood 34.30 -117.50 Chimneys knocked down; landslides reported
1899, April 16 7.0 Offshore, about 80 miles west of Eureka 41.00 -125.80
1898, April 15 Uncertain; 6.7 estimated Fort Bragg - Mendocino 39.20 -123.80 Damage from Fort Bragg to Mendocino; 3 houses collapsed; landslides reported
1898, March 31 6.4 Mare Island 38.20 -122.50 $350,000 in property damage
1892, April 19 6.6 Vacaville 38.40 -122.00 1 dead; $225,000 in property damage
1892, February 24 7.3 Laguna Salida, Baja California 32.55 -115.65 Damage to San Diego and Imperial Valley
1890, February 9 6.8 Uncertain; San Jacinto fault suspected 33.40 -116.30 Little damage
1873, November 23 6.9 Crescent City region 42.00 -124.20 Damage in California-Oregon border area
1872, March 26 7.4 Owens Valley 36.70 -118.10 27 dead; 56 injured; $250,000 in property damage
1872, March 26 6.8 Owens Valley 36.90 -118.20 Aftershock of the 7.4 quake, same day
1872, April 11 6.8 Owens Valley 37.50 -118.50 Aftershock of March 26, 1872 quake
1868, October 21 7.0 Hayward Fault 37.70 -122.10 30 dead; $350,000 in property damage
1865, October 8 6.5 Santa Cruz Mountains 37.20 -121.90 $0.5 million in property damage
1860, March 15 Uncertain; 6.5 estimated Carson City 39.50 -119.50
1857, January 9 7.9 Great Fort Tejon earthquake 36.20 -120.80 1 dead; damage from Monterey to San Bernardino County
1852, November 29 Uncertain; 6.5 estimated Near Fort Yuma, Arizona 32.50 -115
1838, June Uncertain; 7.4 estimated San Francisco to San Juan Bautista 37.30 -122.15 Damage to San Francisco and Santa Clara
1836, June 10 Uncertain; 6.4 estimated Near San Juan Bautista 36.90 -121.50 [Older reports reported this quake as possibly larger and centered near Oakland]
1812, December 21 Uncertain; 7.1 estimated Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara 34.75 -118.60 1 dead
1812, December 8 Uncertain; 7.3 estimated Wrightwood 34.37 -117.65 40 dead at San Juan Capistrano
1800, November 22 Uncertain; 6.3 estimated San Diego and San Juan Capistrano region 32.90 -117.80 Damaged adobe walls of missions in San Diego and San Juan Capistrano
1700, January 26 Uncertain; 9.0 estimated Offshore, somewhere between Cape Mendocino and Canada Unknown Unknown Data not available, but it shook Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and southern British Columbia; caused tsunami damage to villages in Japan and western United States

The preceding table was compiled from the following sources:

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