Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 2.0md
Earthquake near Paso Robles, CA
No earthquake was likely felt in Paso Robles in the 24 hours to 10:48 am PST (18:48 UTC). The last one was M 2.5, 21 km (13 mi) S, at 11:41 pm PDT on 15 August 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 61 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Paso Robles
This page: a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 45 km (28 mi) north-northwest of Paso Robles, CA, at 5:33 am PST on 17 January 2021 (13:33 UTC), 7.7 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.
USGS: 3km SSE of San Ardo, CA
- When
- 5:33 am PST on 17 January 2021 ()
- Where
- 45 km (28 mi) north-northwest of Paso Robles, CA · earthquakes near Paso Robles
- Magnitude
- M 2.0 (md)
- Depth
- 7.7 km below the surface
- Felt
- 1 report · strongest reported intensity II
- Nearest
- Monterey County, 47 km NW
- Nearest mapped fault
- San Andreas fault, 22 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 2116 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Paso Robles, CA
Get a notification in this browser when USGS records an earthquake near Paso Robles, CA. 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.
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 15 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. In Paso Robles, 45 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: Lake Nacimiento.
How big was it?
This earthquake released about 35 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.0 would have released about 32 times as much.
- Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 440,000× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 310,000× the energy of this one
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 28× the energy of this one
- This earthquake M 2.0 about 35 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 13 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:
- 6.5 10 km NE of San Simeon, California · 37 km SSW of this epicentre
- 6.4 1901 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 35 km E of this epicentre
- 6.2 28km NW of Cambria, CA · 49 km SW of this epicentre
- 5.8 29 km NE of San Lucas, California · 36 km NNE of this epicentre
- 5.8 1934 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 26 km SE 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 35.9920, -120.8923. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey County, CA | 47 km (29 mi) | NW | earthquakes near Monterey County |
| San Benito County, CA | 71 km (44 mi) | NNW | earthquakes near San Benito County |
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | 78 km (49 mi) | SSE | earthquakes near San Luis Obispo County |
| Kings County, CA | 97 km (60 mi) | E | earthquakes near Kings County |
| Fresno County, CA | 140 km (87 mi) | NE | earthquakes near Fresno County |
| Santa Cruz County, CA | 151 km (94 mi) | NW | earthquakes near Santa Cruz County |
Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.
Aftershocks so far
54 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.
- 1.6 2km WSW of King City, CA
- 1.6 13km W of San Ardo, CA
- 2.8 12km NW of Parkfield, CA
- 1.5 23km NE of King City, CA
- 2.5 22km NE of San Lucas, CA
- 1.9 12km NNE of Cambria, CA
- 1.7 16km NW of Parkfield, CA
- 1.6 16km NW of Parkfield, CA
- 1.7 15km NW of Parkfield, CA
- 1.7 8km ESE of Greenfield, CA
- 1.7 6km SW of San Ardo, CA
- 1.9 23km WSW of New Idria, CA
- 1.9 18km NW of Parkfield, CA
- 1.8 8km NE of San Simeon, CA
- 2.2 13km NNW of San Simeon, CA
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
- The official USGS event page — the source of record for every value above
- Did you feel it? Report it to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us
- ShakeMap for this event, when USGS has produced one
QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.