QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.7md

Earthquake near King City, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in King City in the 24 hours to 1:44 am PST (09:44 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 2.7 earthquake was recorded 24 km (15 mi) northeast of King City, CA, at 7:26 pm PDT on 23 May 2026 (02:26 UTC), 6.5 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 23 km WSW of New Idria, CA

7:26 pm PDT, May 23, 2026 · · 6.5 km deep · released about 330 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near King City Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Benito County 33 kmMonterey County 38 kmMerced County 96 kmKings County 103 kmSan Luis Obispo County 114 kmSanta Clara County 120 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
7:26 pm PDT on 23 May 2026 ()
Where
24 km (15 mi) northeast of King City, CA · earthquakes near King City
Magnitude
M 2.7 (md)
Depth
6.5 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
San Benito County, 33 km NNW
Nearest mapped fault
San Andreas 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 99 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 24 km (15 mi) from the epicentre. In King City, 24 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: King City 24 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 330 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 46,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 33,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2.9× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.7 about 330 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 4.7 on 2019-10-15 — about 1,100 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 13 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.1 Northwest of Huron, California · 33 km ENE of this epicentre
  2. 5.8 Near Paicines, California · 47 km NW of this epicentre
  3. 5.8 29 km NE of San Lucas, California · 14 km ESE of this epicentre
  4. 5.4 22 km SSW of Three Rocks, California · 37 km E of this epicentre
  5. 5.4 11 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 46 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 36.3438, -120.9152. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Benito County, CA 33 km (21 mi) NNW earthquakes near San Benito County
Monterey County, CA 38 km (23 mi) WSW earthquakes near Monterey County
Merced County, CA 96 km (60 mi) N earthquakes near Merced County
Kings County, CA 103 km (64 mi) ESE earthquakes near Kings County
San Luis Obispo County, CA 114 km (71 mi) SSE earthquakes near San Luis Obispo County
Santa Clara County, CA 120 km (74 mi) NW earthquakes near Santa Clara County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 9 km NNW of Pinnacles, CA
  2. 1.6 23 km WSW of New Idria, CA
  3. 1.5 10 km NW of Pinnacles, CA
  4. 1.8 1 km NE of Pinnacles, CA
  5. 1.8 5 km NNW of Pinnacles, CA
  6. 2.9 13 km S of New Idria, CA
  7. 2.5 7 km NW of Pinnacles, CA
  8. 2.5 13 km SSW of Cantua Creek, CA
  9. 1.8 3 km NW of Pinnacles, CA
  10. 1.6 10 km NW of Pinnacles, CA
  11. 2.0 10 km NW of Pinnacles, CA
  12. 1.8 22 km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  13. 3.5 16 km NW of Pinnacles, CA
  14. 1.8 22 km NE of San Lucas, CA
  15. 2.1 22 km NNE of San Ardo, 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.