QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.4md

Earthquake near Champaign, IL

No earthquake was likely felt in Champaign in the 24 hours to 5:12 am CST (11:12 UTC). The last one was M 3.5, 174 km (108 mi) S, at 2:05 am CDT on 29 June 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 392 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Champaign

This page: a magnitude 2.4 earthquake was recorded 23 km (14 mi) south of Champaign, IL, at 9:39 am CST on 6 November 2020 (15:39 UTC), 2.4 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 0 km SSE of Pesotum, Illinois

23 km (14 mi) S of Champaign, IL · 118 km (73 mi) E of Springfield, IL

9:39 am CST, Nov 6, 2020 · · 2.4 km deep · released about 120 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Douglas County 17 kmChampaign County 26 kmPiatt County 30 kmMoultrie County 43 kmColes County 44 kmEdgar County 52 kmVermilion County 56 kmMacon County 59 kmDe Witt County 62 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
9:39 am CST on 6 November 2020 ()
Where
23 km (14 mi) south of Champaign, IL · earthquakes near Champaign
Illinois today
every earthquake in Illinois in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.4 (md)
Depth
2.4 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Douglas County, 17 km SSE
Nearest mapped fault
Wabash Valley liquefaction features, 24 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 2118 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 42 km (26 mi) from the epicentre. In Champaign, 23 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: Tolono, Villa Grove, Tuscola, Philo, Savoy, Atwood.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 120 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.4 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 130,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 89,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 7.9× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.4 about 120 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 since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.

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 39.9102, -88.2708. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Douglas County, IL 17 km (10 mi) SSE earthquakes near Douglas County
Champaign County, IL 26 km (16 mi) NNE earthquakes near Champaign County
Piatt County, IL 30 km (18 mi) WNW earthquakes near Piatt County
Moultrie County, IL 43 km (27 mi) SW earthquakes near Moultrie County
Coles County, IL 44 km (28 mi) S earthquakes near Coles County
Edgar County, IL 52 km (32 mi) ESE earthquakes near Edgar County

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

Aftershocks so far

No further earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

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.