QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0md

Earthquake near Taylorville, IL

No earthquake was likely felt in Taylorville in the 24 hours to 5:12 am CST (11:12 UTC). The last one was M 3.5, 159 km (99 mi) SE, at 2:05 am CDT on 29 June 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 392 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Taylorville

This page: a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 5 km (3 mi) east of Taylorville, IL, at 3:45 am CST on 29 February 2024 (09:45 UTC), 5.4 km deep. 26 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 5 km E of Taylorville, Illinois

45 km (28 mi) SE of Springfield, IL · 43 km (27 mi) SW of Decatur, IL

3:45 am CST, Feb 29, 2024 · · 5.4 km deep · released about 33 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Christian County 4 kmMontgomery County 41 kmShelby County 41 kmMacon County 42 kmSangamon County 44 kmMoultrie County 53 kmFayette County 63 kmLogan County 66 kmMacoupin County 67 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
3:45 am CST on 29 February 2024 ()
Where
5 km (3 mi) east of Taylorville, IL · earthquakes near Taylorville
Illinois today
every earthquake in Illinois in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.0 (md)
Depth
5.4 km below the surface
Felt
26 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Christian County, 4 km W
Nearest mapped fault
Wabash Valley liquefaction features, under 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 915 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 25 km (16 mi) from the epicentre. In Taylorville, 5 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: Assumption, Kincaid, Edinburg, Blue Mound, Moweaqua, Pana.

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.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 450,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 320,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 29× the energy of this one
  4. 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

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 39.5435, -89.2333. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Christian County, IL 4 km (2 mi) W earthquakes near Christian County
Montgomery County, IL 41 km (25 mi) SSW earthquakes near Montgomery County
Shelby County, IL 41 km (26 mi) ESE earthquakes near Shelby County
Macon County, IL 42 km (26 mi) NNE earthquakes near Macon County
Sangamon County, IL 44 km (27 mi) WNW earthquakes near Sangamon County
Moultrie County, IL 53 km (33 mi) ENE earthquakes near Moultrie County

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

Aftershocks so far

1 earthquake has been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 3.8 4 km NW of Ohlman, Illinois

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.