QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.7ml

Earthquake near Missoula, MT

No earthquake was likely felt in Missoula in the 24 hours to 5:15 pm MST (00:15 UTC). The last one was M 3.8, 76 km (47 mi) NE, at 4:46 am MDT on 5 July 2024, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 131 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Missoula

This page: a magnitude 1.7 earthquake was recorded 17 km (11 mi) northwest of Missoula, MT, at 6:24 am MDT on 24 April 2026 (12:24 UTC), 16 km deep.

USGS: 4 km WNW of Wye, Montana

15 km (9 mi) NW of Missoula, MT

6:24 am MDT, Apr 24, 2026 · · 16 km deep · released about 12 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Missoula County 22 kmMineral County 72 kmLake County 75 kmGranite County 85 kmPowell County 95 kmRavalli County 99 kmSanders County 116 kmClearwater County 118 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
6:24 am MDT on 24 April 2026 ()
Where
17 km (11 mi) northwest of Missoula, MT · earthquakes near Missoula
Montana today
every earthquake in Montana in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.7 (ml)
Depth
16 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Missoula County, 22 km ENE
Nearest mapped fault
Bitterroot fault, 21 km from its surface trace — near is not the same as on
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 198 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. In Missoula, 17 km away, the estimate is intensity II (weak). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Frenchtown, Orchard Homes, East Missoula, Bonner-West Riverside, Lolo.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 12 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,200,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 870,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 78× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.7 about 12 lb of TNT

Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log10E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.

For this area

No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.

Before 2016, the USGS record since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.

Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.

Where

Epicentre 46.9710, -114.1687. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Missoula County, MT 22 km (14 mi) ENE earthquakes near Missoula County
Mineral County, MT 72 km (45 mi) WNW earthquakes near Mineral County
Lake County, MT 75 km (47 mi) N earthquakes near Lake County
Granite County, MT 85 km (53 mi) SE earthquakes near Granite County
Powell County, MT 95 km (59 mi) E earthquakes near Powell County
Ravalli County, MT 99 km (62 mi) S earthquakes near Ravalli County

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

9 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 1.4 4 km SSE of Alberton, Montana
  2. 1.9 2 km NNE of Alberton, Montana
  3. 1.5 6 km S of Frenchtown, Montana
  4. 1.7 6 km S of Frenchtown, Montana
  5. 1.9 18 km E of Saint Ignatius, Montana
  6. 1.9 6 km S of Huson, Montana
  7. 1.9 3 km SSW of Alberton, Montana
  8. 1.7 2 km ENE of Alberton, Montana
  9. 2.2 2 km NE of Alberton, Montana

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of . QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.