QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2md

Earthquake near Millbrae, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Millbrae in the 24 hours to 9:11 pm PST (05:11 UTC). The last one was M 2.7, 8 km (5 mi) WNW, at 5:17 pm PDT on 28 October 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 526 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Millbrae

This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded 2 km (1 mi) north-northeast of Millbrae, CA, at 8:24 pm PDT on 27 October 2023 (03:24 UTC), 12 km deep. 17 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 2 km NNE of Millbrae, CA

18 km (11 mi) SSE of San Francisco, CA · in South San Francisco, CA

8:24 pm PDT, Oct 27, 2023 · · 12 km deep · released about 56 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Mateo County 23 kmAlameda County 41 kmContra Costa County 50 kmMarin County 58 kmSan Francisco County 59 kmSanta Cruz County 75 kmSanta Clara County 75 kmSolano County 82 kmNapa County 99 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
8:24 pm PDT on 27 October 2023 ()
Where
2 km (1 mi) north-northeast of Millbrae, CA · earthquakes near Millbrae
Magnitude
M 2.2 (md)
Depth
12 km below the surface
Felt
17 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
San Mateo County, 23 km S
Nearest mapped fault
Serra fault, 3 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 1110 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 14 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. In Millbrae, 2 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.

Likely felt in: Millbrae 2 km, intensity II · San Bruno 3 km, intensity II · Burlingame 4 km, intensity II · South San Francisco 5 km, intensity II · San Mateo 8 km, intensity II · Pacifica 10 km, intensity II · Foster City 11 km, intensity II · Daly City 12 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 56 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 270,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 190,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 17× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 56 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

The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 4.5 on 2019-10-15 — about 2,600 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 2 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 7.9 The 1906 San Francisco, California Earthquake · 21 km NW of this epicentre
  2. 5.3 The 1957 San Francisco, California Earthquake · 11 km WNW 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 37.6182, -122.3773. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Mateo County, CA 23 km (14 mi) S earthquakes near San Mateo County
Alameda County, CA 41 km (26 mi) E earthquakes near Alameda County
Contra Costa County, CA 50 km (31 mi) NE earthquakes near Contra Costa County
Marin County, CA 58 km (36 mi) NW earthquakes near Marin County
San Francisco County, CA 59 km (37 mi) WNW earthquakes near San Francisco County
Santa Cruz County, CA 75 km (47 mi) SSE earthquakes near Santa Cruz County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 5 km WSW of San Francisco Zoo, CA
  2. 3.2 5 km WSW of San Francisco Zoo, CA
  3. 2.2 3 km ESE of Woodside, CA
  4. 1.5 6 km S of Portola Valley, CA
  5. 2.1 3 km W of Woodside, CA
  6. 2.2 6 km S of Alameda, CA
  7. 1.6 6 km S of Alameda, CA
  8. 2.3 3 km ESE of Woodside, CA
  9. 1.6 4 km NE of Portola Valley, CA
  10. 1.5 6 km E of Santa Venetia, CA
  11. 1.6 1 km SSE of Pacheco, CA
  12. 1.5 2 km N of Pleasant Hill, CA
  13. 1.5 3 km W of Woodside, CA
  14. 1.8 7 km NW of San Francisco Zoo, CA
  15. 1.6 2 km ENE of Oakland, 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.