QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.5md

Earthquake near King City, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in King City in the 24 hours to 4:53 am PST (12:53 UTC). The last one was M 2.5, 14 km (8 mi) E, at 4:39 pm PDT on 29 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near King City

This page: a magnitude 2.5 earthquake was recorded 50 km (31 mi) southwest of King City, CA, at 6:43 pm PDT on 23 July 2021 (01:43 UTC), 12 km deep. 4 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 17km SSE of Lopez Point, CA

91 km (57 mi) S of Salinas, CA

6:43 pm PDT, Jul 23, 2021 · · 12 km deep · released about 180 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near King City Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Monterey County 43 kmSan Benito County 89 kmSan Luis Obispo County 109 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
6:43 pm PDT on 23 July 2021 ()
Where
50 km (31 mi) southwest of King City, CA · earthquakes near King City
Magnitude
M 2.5 (md)
Depth
12 km below the surface
Felt
4 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Monterey County, 43 km NNE
Nearest mapped fault
San Gregorio fault, 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 1866 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 19 km (12 mi) from the epicentre. In King City, 50 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 180 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 86,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 61,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 5.4× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.5 about 180 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 7 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.5 10 km NE of San Simeon, California · 40 km ESE of this epicentre
  2. 6.2 28km NW of Cambria, CA · 23 km SE of this epicentre
  3. 5.7 Southwest of Cambria, California · 49 km SSE of this epicentre
  4. 5.2 26km NNW of Lake Nacimiento, CA · 47 km E of this epicentre
  5. 5.2 25 km NW of San Simeon, California · 13 km ESE 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 35.8777, -121.4900. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Monterey County, CA 43 km (27 mi) NNE earthquakes near Monterey County
San Benito County, CA 89 km (55 mi) NNE earthquakes near San Benito County
San Luis Obispo County, CA 109 km (68 mi) ESE earthquakes near San Luis Obispo County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 6km NW of San Simeon, CA
  2. 1.6 19km NW of San Simeon, CA
  3. 2.5 13km NNW of San Simeon, CA
  4. 2.0 13km NNE of San Simeon, CA
  5. 2.6 23km WNW of Lopez Point, CA
  6. 1.8 10km ESE of Lopez Point, CA
  7. 1.7 18km NNW of San Simeon, CA
  8. 1.7 18km NW of San Simeon, CA
  9. 1.7 12km SSW of San Lucas, CA
  10. 1.5 21km NNE of San Simeon, CA
  11. 2.1 18km NNW of San Simeon, CA
  12. 2.6 17km NNW of San Simeon, CA
  13. 1.7 18km NW of San Simeon, CA
  14. 1.6 20km NNW of San Simeon, CA
  15. 1.6 15km SE of Point Sur, 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

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