Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 2.0md
Earthquake near Cayucos, CA
No earthquake was likely felt in Cayucos in the 24 hours to 4:31 am PST (12:31 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 15 km (9 mi) E, at 6:08 am PDT on 21 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 3 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Cayucos
This page: a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 12 km (7 mi) north-northeast of Cayucos, CA, at 8:39 am PST on 12 January 2026 (16:39 UTC), 6.7 km deep.
USGS: 12 km NNE of Cayucos, CA
76 km (47 mi) NNW of Santa Maria, CA
- When
- 8:39 am PST on 12 January 2026 ()
- Where
- 12 km (7 mi) north-northeast of Cayucos, CA · earthquakes near Cayucos
- Magnitude
- M 2.0 (md)
- Depth
- 6.7 km below the surface
- Felt
- no reports yet
- Nearest
- San Luis Obispo County, 38 km ESE
- Nearest mapped fault
- Hosgri 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 295 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Cayucos, CA
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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 Cayucos, 12 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: Cayucos 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 33 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 5.8 450,000× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 320,000× the energy of this one
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 29× the energy of this one
- This earthquake M 2.0 about 33 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 4.1 on 2025-11-18 — about 1,300 times the energy of this one.
Before 2016, the USGS record lists 6 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:
- 6.5 10 km NE of San Simeon, California · 30 km NW of this epicentre
- 6.2 28km NW of Cambria, CA · 49 km WNW of this epicentre
- 5.8 1934 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 38 km NNE of this epicentre
- 5.7 Southwest of Cambria, California · 33 km W of this epicentre
- 5.2 26km NNW of Lake Nacimiento, CA · 48 km NNW 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 35.5345, -120.8330. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | 38 km (24 mi) | ESE | earthquakes near San Luis Obispo County |
| Monterey County, CA | 90 km (56 mi) | NNW | earthquakes near Monterey County |
| Kings County, CA | 110 km (68 mi) | ENE | earthquakes near Kings County |
| San Benito County, CA | 122 km (76 mi) | N | earthquakes near San Benito County |
| Santa Barbara County, CA | 132 km (82 mi) | SSE | earthquakes near Santa Barbara County |
Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.
Aftershocks so far
42 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.
- 1.5 18 km NNW of San Simeon, CA
- 2.1 15 km WSW of San Simeon, CA
- 1.8 11 km WSW of Templeton, CA
- 2.1 2 km SW of San Simeon, CA
- 1.6 4 km NNE of Avila Beach, CA
- 2.3 15 km NW of San Simeon, CA
- 2.3 7 km NE of San Simeon, CA
- 1.9 3 km WNW of San Luis Obispo, CA
- 2.2 10 km W of Atascadero, CA
- 1.7 20 km N of San Simeon, CA
- 1.6 15 km NW of San Simeon, CA
- 1.9 16 km SSW of Baywood-Los Osos, CA
- 1.5 6 km E of Atascadero, CA
- 1.5 16 km WSW of Cambria, CA
- 1.7 14 km WSW of Lake Nacimiento, 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.