Every recorded earthquake within 30 km
Earthquakes near Ellicott City, MD
No earthquake was likely felt in Ellicott City in the 24 hours to 9:10 am EST (14:10 UTC). The last one was M 2.5, 10 km (6 mi) SSW, at 5:17 pm EDT on 27 October 2025, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 1,228 felt reports to USGS.
M 2.5
Latest: 5:17 pm EDT on 27 October 2025 · 10 km (6 mi) SSW of Ellicott City, MD
The most recent earthquake near Ellicott City was M 2.5, 10 km (6 mi) SSW of Ellicott City, MD, at 5:17 pm EDT on 27 October 2025, 8 km deep. 1,228 people reported feeling it to USGS. The estimated shaking in Ellicott City was intensity III (weak), felt by some people at rest indoors.
No earthquake of M1.5 or more was recorded within 30 km (19 mi) of Ellicott City in the last 24 hours.
- Last 24 hours
- 0
- Last 7 days
- 0
- Last 30 days
- 0 · since 2016, about one every 16 months
- Last 12 months
- 0
- Since 2016
- 8 earthquakes of M1.5 or more within 30 km
- Largest since 2016
- M 2.6 on 25 June 2021, 9 km (5 mi) ENE of Ellicott City, MD
- Reported felt
- 7 of them have felt reports to USGS
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
- 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)
- Earthquakes in Maryland — with the state's activity score
QuakeIndex does not issue warnings or forecasts. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert and the MyShake app.
Earthquake alerts for Ellicott City, MD
Get a notification in this browser when USGS records an earthquake near Ellicott City, MD. No account or email needed.
Alerts are on for .
Not a warning. An alert comes after USGS publishes a quake, usually minutes after the shaking. For early warning use ShakeAlert, through your phone's Wireless Emergency Alerts or the MyShake app.
The last 30 days
The latest 8
- 2.5 10 km (6 mi) SSW of Ellicott City, MD · felt by 1,228
- 1.8 21 km (13 mi) SW of Ellicott City, MD · felt by 83
- 2.0 14 km (9 mi) NW of Ellicott City, MD · felt by 681
- 1.7 8 km (5 mi) NE of Ellicott City, MD · felt by 13
- 2.1 17 km (10 mi) WSW of Ellicott City, MD · felt by 774
- 1.6 9 km (6 mi) ENE of Ellicott City, MD · felt by 12
- 2.6 9 km (5 mi) ENE of Ellicott City, MD · felt by 940
- 1.5 22 km (14 mi) W of Ellicott City, MD
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 Ellicott City time. Distances are from the town centre. Quakes USGS named after Ellicott City are listed even when they are further out.
Show these earthquakes on your own site: a free card with the latest quakes near Ellicott City, for a local news site, school or neighborhood page.
On the map
The white circle is Ellicott City; dots are the 8 most recent earthquakes within 30 km. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Estimated shaking in Ellicott City
The strongest shaking in Ellicott City from a quake since 2016 is estimated at intensity III (weak), from the M 2.6 on 25 June 2021, 9 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.
| Magnitude | When | Distance | Shaking in Ellicott City (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M 2.6 | 9 km | III · Weak · felt by 940 | |
| M 2.5 | 10 km | III · Weak · felt by 1,228 | |
| M 2.1 | 17 km | II · Weak · felt by 774 | |
| M 2.0 | 14 km | II · Weak · felt by 681 | |
| M 1.7 | 8 km | II · Weak · felt by 13 |
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. All 5 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 Ellicott City.
USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900 to 2015. This is the record, not a forecast.
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
QuakeIndex does not issue warnings or forecasts. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert and the MyShake app.