Every recorded earthquake near

Earthquakes near Santa Cruz, CA

M 4.6

Latest: 1:41 am PDT on 2 April 2026 · 17 km (11 mi) NNW of Santa Cruz, CA

The most recent earthquake of M2.5 or more near Santa Cruz was M 4.6, 17 km (11 mi) NNW of Santa Cruz, CA, at 1:41 am PDT on 2 April 2026. 33,078 people reported feeling it to USGS. 6 smaller earthquakes have been recorded nearby since; the newest is first in the list below.

Within 30 km since 2016: 121 earthquakes of M1.5 or more
In the last 12 months: 13
Largest since 2016: M 4.6 on 2 April 2026, 17 km (11 mi) NNW of Santa Cruz, CA
Reported felt: 42 of them have felt reports to USGS

USGS · feed checked 19 seconds ago · newest earthquake in our database 18 minutes ago · this page 01:36 UTC

The latest 50

1.8 19 km (12 mi) SE of Santa Cruz, CA Sep 24, 2026
10:54 am PDT
2.4 24 km (15 mi) WNW of Santa Cruz, CA · felt by 14 Jun 8, 2026
2:24 am PDT
2.0 20 km (12 mi) NNE of Santa Cruz, CA · felt by 1 May 25, 2026
11:24 pm PDT
1.7 18 km (11 mi) NNW of Santa Cruz, CA Apr 3, 2026
3:13 pm PDT
1.6 17 km (11 mi) NNW of Santa Cruz, CA Apr 3, 2026
11:44 am PDT
1.6 19 km (12 mi) NNW of Santa Cruz, CA Apr 2, 2026
9:15 am PDT
4.6 17 km (11 mi) NNW of Santa Cruz, CA · felt by 33,078 Apr 2, 2026
1:41 am PDT
1.9 27 km (17 mi) NNW of Santa Cruz, CA · felt by 36 Apr 1, 2026
10:22 pm PDT
2.5 17 km (11 mi) E of Santa Cruz, CA · felt by 122 Mar 7, 2026
5:22 am PST
2.3 17 km (10 mi) W of Santa Cruz, CA · felt by 1 Feb 20, 2026
3:10 pm PST
2.8 20 km (12 mi) ENE of Santa Cruz, CA · felt by 559 Jan 4, 2026
1:14 pm PST
2.1 22 km (14 mi) ENE of Santa Cruz, CA · felt by 2 Nov 26, 2025
12:23 am PST
1.7 22 km (14 mi) ENE of Santa Cruz, CA Nov 25, 2025
9:55 pm PST
2.0 30 km (19 mi) WSW of Santa Cruz, CA Sep 6, 2025
4:59 am PDT
2.2 19 km (12 mi) ENE of Santa Cruz, CA · felt by 8 Aug 11, 2025
2:42 pm PDT
1.6 29 km (18 mi) NNW of Santa Cruz, CA Jun 16, 2025
3:59 am PDT
2.4 28 km (17 mi) E of Santa Cruz, CA · felt by 1 Jun 11, 2025
4:39 pm PDT
2.3 17 km (11 mi) SSW of Santa Cruz, CA · felt by 1 Mar 21, 2025
10:26 pm PDT
1.7 16 km (10 mi) SSW of Santa Cruz, CA · felt by 2 Mar 16, 2025
10:28 pm PDT
1.7 16 km (10 mi) SE of Santa Cruz, CA Mar 8, 2025
4:00 am PST
1.6 18 km (11 mi) SE of Santa Cruz, CA Mar 6, 2025
4:38 am PST
1.5 29 km (18 mi) NNW of Santa Cruz, CA Dec 29, 2024
10:41 am PST
1.9 15 km (10 mi) WSW of Santa Cruz, CA Dec 22, 2024
10:38 pm PST
1.5 29 km (18 mi) NNW of Santa Cruz, CA · felt by 1 Dec 21, 2024
8:23 am PST
2.4 30 km (18 mi) NNW of Santa Cruz, CA Dec 21, 2024
8:21 am PST
1.8 16 km (10 mi) WSW of Santa Cruz, CA Dec 2, 2024
1:08 pm PST
2.1 21 km (13 mi) ENE of Santa Cruz, CA · felt by 1 Nov 17, 2024
11:44 am PST
1.6 26 km (16 mi) E of Santa Cruz, CA Sep 5, 2024
10:39 am PDT
2.1 14 km (9 mi) WSW of Santa Cruz, CA · felt by 1 Aug 5, 2024
7:28 am PDT
1.5 20 km (13 mi) W of Santa Cruz, CA Jul 18, 2024
11:37 am PDT
1.7 16 km (10 mi) ENE of Santa Cruz, CA Jul 11, 2024
5:17 pm PDT
1.6 19 km (12 mi) NE of Santa Cruz, CA May 10, 2024
7:35 am PDT
1.9 18 km (11 mi) NE of Santa Cruz, CA May 9, 2024
7:25 am PDT
2.1 19 km (12 mi) NE of Santa Cruz, CA May 9, 2024
7:24 am PDT
2.4 19 km (12 mi) NE of Santa Cruz, CA · felt by 7 May 9, 2024
6:27 am PDT
1.6 20 km (12 mi) NE of Santa Cruz, CA Apr 25, 2024
2:48 am PDT
1.6 15 km (9 mi) WSW of Santa Cruz, CA Apr 11, 2024
2:00 am PDT
1.8 27 km (17 mi) W of Santa Cruz, CA Mar 27, 2024
12:35 am PDT
2.7 23 km (14 mi) ENE of Santa Cruz, CA · felt by 52 Feb 27, 2024
12:36 am PST
1.5 19 km (12 mi) N of Santa Cruz, CA Dec 26, 2023
8:02 am PST
1.8 24 km (15 mi) NE of Santa Cruz, CA Nov 1, 2023
5:02 pm PDT
1.6 17 km (10 mi) WSW of Santa Cruz, CA Sep 3, 2023
6:36 am PDT
1.6 18 km (11 mi) SSW of Santa Cruz, CA Aug 7, 2023
3:42 am PDT
1.6 18 km (11 mi) N of Santa Cruz, CA Jul 27, 2023
9:10 pm PDT
1.9 17 km (11 mi) NE of Santa Cruz, CA Jun 9, 2023
5:16 am PDT
1.7 9 km (6 mi) NW of Santa Cruz, CA Jun 7, 2023
1:01 pm PDT
1.9 28 km (18 mi) ENE of Santa Cruz, CA Mar 2, 2023
5:33 pm PST
1.5 19 km (12 mi) E of Santa Cruz, CA Feb 22, 2023
7:43 am PST
1.7 19 km (12 mi) ESE of Santa Cruz, CA Nov 15, 2022
11:34 pm PST
2.1 19 km (12 mi) W of Santa Cruz, CA Nov 13, 2022
11:16 am PST

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 Santa Cruz time. Distances are from the town centre. Quakes USGS named after Santa Cruz are listed even when they are further out.

On the map

Map loads when it scrolls into view

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

Before 2016

The USGS record since 1900 lists 25 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km of Santa Cruz; the five largest:

6.9 The 1989 Loma Prieta, California Earthquake · 15 km ENE of Santa Cruz 1989
6.5 Near Morgan Hill, California · 38 km ENE of Santa Cruz 1911
6.3 22 km S of Davenport, California · 24 km SW of Santa Cruz 1926
6.3 16 km SW of Davenport, California · 28 km WSW of Santa Cruz 1926
6.2 Near San Jose, California · 42 km NNE of Santa Cruz 1903

USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900 to 2016. This is the record, not a forecast.

Nearest mapped faults

East Monterey Bay fault, 6 km from its surface trace
Monterey Bay- Tularcitos fault, 8 km from its surface trace
Zayante-Vergeles fault, 14 km from its surface trace

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

Nearby towns

Bonny Doon 13 km · Day Valley 16 km · Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley 18 km · Boulder Creek 19 km · Corralitos 20 km · Lexington Hills 22 km · Watsonville 25 km

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
Earthquakes in California, with the state's activity score

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