Earthquakes in District of Columbia
No earthquake of M1.5 or more has been recorded in District of Columbia since 2016.
No earthquake of M1.5 or more was recorded in District of Columbia in the last 24 hours.
- Last 24 hours
- 0
- Last 7 days
- 0
- Last 30 days
- 0
- Last 12 months
- 0
- Since 2016
- 0 earthquakes of M1.5 or more
- Largest since 2016
- M 2.6 on 25 June 2021, 2 km SE of Woodlawn, Maryland
Latest quake, 24 hours and 7 days: the QuakeIndex database, which reads USGS every 30 seconds, read at ; 30 days and 12 months: the QuakeIndex catalogue, counted to · earthquakes of M1.5 or more in District of Columbia, where USGS names the state in the location
Earthquakes are rare here
9 earthquakes of M1.5 or larger have been recorded in District of Columbia in 10 years, and most weeks have none. There have been none in the last 7 days.
With so few, a QuakeIndex score — this week as a percentile of District of Columbia's own weeks — would only say whether anything happened at all, so none is shown. That is a statement about District of Columbia, not about our data.
USGS catalogue · updated
If you felt one
- Was that an earthquake? — checks what was recorded near you in the last hour
- Report what you felt to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us, and they are what produces the intensity maps
- Expect aftershocks, and be ready to Drop, Cover, and Hold On if you feel one; if you are in a damaged building, go outside and move away from it (Ready.gov, FEMA; what to do during and after an earthquake)
QuakeIndex does not issue warnings or forecasts. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert and the MyShake app.
The last 30 days
Show these earthquakes on your own site: a free card with this strip and the latest quakes in District of Columbia, for a local news site, school or neighborhood page.
Live · last 7 days
Latest earthquakes in District of Columbia
None in District of Columbia in the latest snapshot we hold; the full 7 days load from USGS as this page opens.
Source USGS · snapshot of
The last 7 days on the map
Open the full map — zoom anywhere, or find your own location →
Largest on record in and around District of Columbia
| Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|
| M 2.6 | 2 km SE of Woodlawn, Maryland | |
| M 2.5 | 4 km E of Riverside, Maryland | |
| M 2.3 | 0 km WSW of Rockville, Maryland | |
| M 2.1 | Clarksville, Maryland | |
| M 2.0 | 4 km ESE of Sykesville, Maryland | |
| M 1.8 | 1 km NE of Spencerville, Maryland | |
| M 1.7 | 0 km S of Woodlawn, Maryland | |
| M 1.6 | 1 km NNW of Irvington, Maryland |
From the QuakeIndex catalogue, built from the USGS FDSN event service · inside a rectangle drawn around District of Columbia, which takes in some ground over its borders.
Before 2016: the largest in District of Columbia since 1900
The USGS record from 1900 to 2015 lists no earthquake of M5 or more in District of Columbia.
USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900 to 2015, each epicentre counted for the state whose nearest county it is. Epicentres of early earthquakes are estimates. This is the record, not a forecast.
Counties in District of Columbia
Be ready
Earthquakes cannot be predicted, here or anywhere, so the useful step is the one taken beforehand. The advice below is from the agencies responsible for it.
- Ready.gov: earthquakes (FEMA) — what to do before, during and after, including Drop, Cover, and Hold On
- Build a kit (FEMA) — water, food and supplies for several days; our summary
- USGS: preparedness — the hazard behind the advice, from the agency that records every quake on this page
- The Great ShakeOut — the yearly earthquake drill, with material for homes, schools and workplaces