QuakeIndex

Every recorded earthquake within 30 km

Earthquakes near La Mesa, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in La Mesa in the 24 hours to 5:10 am PST (13:10 UTC). The last one was M 4.9, 177 km (110 mi) ESE, at 10:27 am PST on 3 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 321 felt reports to USGS.

M 2.5

Latest: 5:49 pm PDT on 22 March 2021 · 30 km (19 mi) WSW of La Mesa, CA

The most recent earthquake of M2.5 or more near La Mesa was M 2.5, 30 km (19 mi) WSW of La Mesa, CA, at 5:49 pm PDT on 22 March 2021, 18 km deep. The estimated shaking in La Mesa was intensity II (weak), felt by some people at rest indoors. 95 smaller earthquakes have been recorded near La Mesa since; the newest is first in the list below.

No earthquake of M1.5 or more was recorded within 30 km (19 mi) of La Mesa in the last 24 hours.

Last 24 hours
0
Last 7 days
0
Last 30 days
0 · an average 30 days here since 2016: 1.5
Last 12 months
4 · largest M 1.9 on 31 July 2026
Since 2016
204 earthquakes of M1.5 or more within 30 km
Largest since 2016
M 3.5 on 31 March 2017, 30 km (19 mi) S of La Mesa, CA
Reported felt
38 of them have felt reports to USGS
Nearest mapped fault
Newport-Inglewood-Rose Canyon fault, 14 km from its surface trace

USGS · feed checked · newest earthquake in our database · this page · counts are earthquakes of M1.5 or more within 30 km (19 mi) of the town centre; shaking is estimated for the town centre with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses

If you felt one

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings or forecasts. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert and the MyShake app.

The last 30 days

Oct 14 Oct 29 Nov 12
Each mark is a day's largest quake within range; its size is the magnitude. The shaded band is the magnitude a day's largest quake normally falls in here (M1.6–M1.7), from this place's own 10-year record. A mark above the band is a bigger day than usual.

The latest 50

  1. 0.9 7 km (5 mi) NNW of La Mesa, CA
  2. 1.6 12 km (8 mi) E of La Mesa, CA
  3. 1.9 20 km (13 mi) WNW of La Mesa, CA
  4. 1.8 21 km (13 mi) WNW of La Mesa, CA
  5. 1.8 14 km (9 mi) SW of La Mesa, CA
  6. 1.5 29 km (18 mi) S of La Mesa, CA
  7. 1.6 21 km (13 mi) SE of La Mesa, CA · felt by 1
  8. 1.5 18 km (11 mi) NNE of La Mesa, CA
  9. 2.1 22 km (14 mi) S of La Mesa, CA · felt by 7
  10. 1.6 17 km (11 mi) NNE of La Mesa, CA
  11. 1.5 18 km (11 mi) NNE of La Mesa, CA
  12. 1.6 18 km (11 mi) NNE of La Mesa, CA
  13. 1.5 18 km (11 mi) S of La Mesa, CA
  14. 1.5 18 km (11 mi) S of La Mesa, CA
  15. 1.5 19 km (12 mi) NNE of La Mesa, CA
  16. 1.5 13 km (8 mi) E of La Mesa, CA
  17. 1.5 12 km (7 mi) E of La Mesa, CA
  18. 2.4 30 km (18 mi) NW of La Mesa, CA
  19. 1.6 12 km (8 mi) E of La Mesa, CA
  20. 1.7 11 km (7 mi) E of La Mesa, CA
  21. 1.9 29 km (18 mi) SSE of La Mesa, CA · felt by 2
  22. 1.7 12 km (7 mi) E of La Mesa, CA
  23. 1.5 12 km (8 mi) E of La Mesa, CA
  24. 1.5 17 km (10 mi) NNE of La Mesa, CA
  25. 1.5 12 km (7 mi) E of La Mesa, CA · felt by 1
  26. 1.8 27 km (17 mi) E of La Mesa, CA
  27. 2.4 24 km (15 mi) SSE of La Mesa, CA · felt by 18
  28. 1.5 18 km (11 mi) NNE of La Mesa, CA
  29. 1.6 18 km (11 mi) S of La Mesa, CA
  30. 1.5 16 km (10 mi) NNE of La Mesa, CA
  31. 1.5 16 km (10 mi) SSE of La Mesa, CA · felt by 1
  32. 1.6 16 km (10 mi) NNE of La Mesa, CA
  33. 1.6 16 km (10 mi) NNE of La Mesa, CA
  34. 1.5 13 km (8 mi) E of La Mesa, CA
  35. 1.6 12 km (8 mi) E of La Mesa, CA
  36. 2.0 17 km (11 mi) SSW of La Mesa, CA · felt by 1
  37. 1.5 13 km (8 mi) E of La Mesa, CA
  38. 1.6 13 km (8 mi) E of La Mesa, CA
  39. 1.6 23 km (14 mi) SE of La Mesa, CA · felt by 1
  40. 1.5 25 km (15 mi) S of La Mesa, CA
  41. 1.5 13 km (8 mi) E of La Mesa, CA
  42. 1.8 11 km (7 mi) E of La Mesa, CA
  43. 1.6 13 km (8 mi) E of La Mesa, CA
  44. 1.6 17 km (10 mi) S of La Mesa, CA
  45. 1.7 29 km (18 mi) W of La Mesa, CA · felt by 1
  46. 1.6 21 km (13 mi) S of La Mesa, CA · felt by 1
  47. 1.5 16 km (10 mi) NNE of La Mesa, CA · felt by 2
  48. 1.5 23 km (14 mi) S of La Mesa, CA
  49. 1.7 17 km (11 mi) SSE of La Mesa, CA
  50. 1.6 20 km (12 mi) S of La Mesa, CA

From the QuakeIndex database, which reads the USGS feed every 30 seconds and holds the USGS catalogue for the US from 2016 (M1.5+). Times are La Mesa time. Distances are from the town centre. Quakes USGS named after La Mesa are listed even when they are further out.

Show these earthquakes on your own site: a free card with the latest quakes near La Mesa, for a local news site, school or neighborhood page.

On the map

The white circle is La Mesa; dots are the 50 most recent earthquakes within 30 km. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Estimated shaking in La Mesa

The strongest shaking in La Mesa from a quake since 2016 is estimated at intensity II (weak), from the M 2.9 on 19 March 2020, 17 km away. Intensity II and III are felt by some people at rest indoors; IV by most people indoors; V and above wakes sleepers and moves objects.

MagnitudeWhenDistanceShaking in La Mesa (est.)
M 2.9 17 kmII · Weak · felt by 511
M 3.5 30 kmII · Weak · felt by 1,158
M 1.8 11 kmII · Weak
M 1.7 12 kmII · Weak
M 2.9 30 kmII · Weak · felt by 48

An estimate for the town centre from magnitude, depth and distance, with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses (Atkinson & Wald, 2007), on the Modified Mercalli scale. 4 of these reach intensity II or more in town, where people at rest start to notice. Ground conditions change it street by street. It describes the past, not a hazard.

Before 2016

The USGS record since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km of La Mesa.

USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900 to 2015. This is the record, not a forecast.

Nearest mapped faults

USGS Quaternary Fault and Fold Database. Near is not the same as on.

Nearby towns

San Diego 14 km · Alpine 25 km

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.

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings or forecasts. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert and the MyShake app.