QuakeIndex

Fault · California

Hayward fault

107 kmlong (66 mi), as mapped
> 5 mm/yrhow fast it slips
last 150 yearssince it last broke the surface
200quakes of M2.5+ within 10 km since 2016

In plain English

The two sides grind past each other faster than 5 mm a year — more than half a metre (20 inches) every century.

It has broken the ground surface within the last 150 years.

The largest earthquake recorded near it was M 6.8 in 1868 (The 1868 Hayward Fault, California Earthquake) — about 500,000 times the energy of an M3.0, the size people start to feel. It released about 240 kilotons of TNT.

USGS maps it as 3 sections: Northern Hayward section, Southeast Extension section, Southern Hayward section.

This week vs. its last ten years

76/100

elevated

2 quakes of M1.5+ within 5 km of the trace in the last 7 days — busier than 76% of weeks since 2016. A normal week: 0–1.

Computed from the USGS catalogue · a description of the past, not a forecast · method

San Andreas faultGreat Valley thrust fault systemSan Gregorio faultFoothills fault systemCalaveras faultGreenville faultMonterey Bay- Tularcitos faultZayante-Vergeles faultOrtigalita faultRodgers Creek faultSargent faultMonte Vista-Shannon faultButano faultWest Napa faultBennett Valley faultGreen Valley faultEast Monterey Bay faultQuien Sabe faultConcord faultPleasanton faultCordelia faultSerra faultCorral Hollow-Carnegie faultLas Positas fault M 6.8 · 1868 · The 1868 Hayward Fault, California Earthquake M 6.5 · 1865 · South of San Jose, California M 6.5 · 1911 · Near Morgan Hill, California M 6.2 · 1858 · North of San Jose, California M 6.2 · 1903 · Near San Jose, California M 6.1 · 1864 · Santa Clara County, California
The Hayward fault as mapped at the surface (glowing), with the other mapped faults nearby, 200 of the M2.5+ earthquakes within 10 km of it since 2016 (dots), and the epicentres of the large historic earthquakes recorded near it (rings). Traces: USGS Quaternary Fault and Fold Database. Historic epicentres are estimates.

Every year since 2016

Earthquakes of M2.5+ with an epicentre within 10 km of the mapped trace. Near is not the same as on: some will have slipped on neighbouring faults.

The big ones recorded near it

  1. M 6.8 The 1868 Hayward Fault, California Earthquake
    October 21, 1868 · epicentre on the trace
  2. M 6.5 South of San Jose, California
    October 8, 1865 · epicentre 16 km from the trace
  3. M 6.5 Near Morgan Hill, California
    July 1, 1911 · epicentre 15 km from the trace
  4. M 6.2 North of San Jose, California
    November 26, 1858 · epicentre 8 km from the trace
  5. M 6.2 Near San Jose, California
    August 3, 1903 · epicentre 3 km from the trace
  6. M 6.1 Santa Clara County, California
    February 26, 1864 · epicentre 10 km from the trace
  7. M 5.1 15km ESE of Alum Rock, CA
    October 25, 2022 · epicentre 6 km from the trace
  8. M 4.4 2km SE of Berkeley, CA
    January 4, 2018 · epicentre 2 km from the trace

Before 1973 from the USGS ComCat historical catalogue (within 25 km; epicentres of old earthquakes are estimates). Since 2016, M4+ within 10 km.

Most recent near it

  1. M 2.5 10 km ENE of Milpitas, CA
    2026-09-19 · 6 km from the trace
  2. M 2.8 4 km N of San Leandro, CA
    2026-08-13 · 1 km from the trace
  3. M 3.8 3 km N of San Leandro, CA
    2026-08-13 · 1 km from the trace
  4. M 2.6 2 km NNE of San Leandro, CA
    2026-07-23 · 0 km from the trace
  5. M 2.6 7 km E of Fremont, CA
    2026-06-04 · 1 km from the trace
  6. M 2.8 14 km N of Morgan Hill, CA
    2026-04-30 · 7 km from the trace

Neighbouring faults

Fault trace, slip rate and age: USGS Quaternary Fault and Fold Database (public domain), simplified for the web. Earthquakes: USGS ComCat. QuakeIndex does not forecast earthquakes; a fault's history describes the past. For early warning use ShakeAlert.