QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.5md

Earthquake near San Leandro, CA

Yes. A magnitude 2.5 earthquake was recorded 2 km (1 mi) N of San Leandro, CA, at 7:37 am PDT on 4 May 2016 (14:37 UTC), 4.5 km deep. 53 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

This was on 4 May 2016. The latest near San Leandro: M 3.1 on 12 September 2026.

USGS: 2 km N of San Leandro, California

7 km (4 mi) ESE of Oakland, CA · in San Leandro, CA

7:37 am PDT, May 4, 2016 · · 4.5 km deep · released about 150 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near San Leandro Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Alameda County 24 kmContra Costa County 26 kmSan Mateo County 42 kmSolano County 61 kmMarin County 62 kmSanta Clara County 71 kmSan Francisco County 77 kmSan Joaquin County 80 kmSanta Cruz County 83 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
7:37 am PDT on 4 May 2016 ()
Where
2 km (1 mi) N of San Leandro, CA · earthquakes near San Leandro
Magnitude
M 2.5 (md)
Depth
4.5 km below the surface
Felt
53 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Alameda County, 24 km ESE
Nearest mapped fault
Hayward fault, under 1 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 3532 days ago

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

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 21 km (13 mi) from the epicentre. In San Leandro, 2 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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.

Likely felt in: San Leandro 2 km, intensity III · Ashland 7 km, intensity III · Castro Valley 8 km, intensity III · San Lorenzo 8 km, intensity III · Cherryland 9 km, intensity III · Alameda 10 km, intensity II · Moraga 10 km, intensity II · Hayward 11 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 150 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.5 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 100,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 72,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 6.5× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.5 about 150 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 lists 6 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 7.9 The 1906 San Francisco, California Earthquake · 35 km W of this epicentre
  2. 5.8 The 1980 Livermore, California Earthquake · 35 km ENE of this epicentre
  3. 5.5 6 km NNE of East Foothills, California · 48 km SE of this epicentre
  4. 5.4 9 km NE of Livermore, California · 39 km E of this epicentre
  5. 5.3 The 1957 San Francisco, California Earthquake · 30 km WSW of this epicentre

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 37.7457, -122.1515. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Alameda County, CA 24 km (15 mi) ESE earthquakes near Alameda County
Contra Costa County, CA 26 km (16 mi) NE earthquakes near Contra Costa County
San Mateo County, CA 42 km (26 mi) SSW earthquakes near San Mateo County
Solano County, CA 61 km (38 mi) NNE earthquakes near Solano County
Marin County, CA 62 km (39 mi) WNW earthquakes near Marin County
Santa Clara County, CA 71 km (44 mi) SE earthquakes near Santa Clara County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 5 km WSW of Antioch, California
  2. 2.0 1 km NE of Pacifica, California
  3. 1.6 5 km E of Alameda, California
  4. 1.5 3 km S of Loyola, California
  5. 2.1 11 km SE of Sunol, California
  6. 1.5 5 km E of Alameda, California
  7. 1.6 5 km E of Alameda, California
  8. 2.9 3 km SW of American Canyon, California
  9. 1.8 5 km SSE of Loyola, California
  10. 1.6 1 km NE of San Ramon, California
  11. 2.2 9 km NNE of East Foothills, California
  12. 2.7 3 km NNW of Benicia, California
  13. 1.7 13 km E of Livermore, California
  14. 1.7 12 km ESE of Livermore, California
  15. 1.6 3 km S of Loyola, California

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.