QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2ml

Earthquake near Bellingham, WA

No earthquake was likely felt in Bellingham in the 24 hours to 2:42 pm PST (22:42 UTC). The last one was M 3.8, 53 km (33 mi) S, at 11:35 pm PDT on 1 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 2,030 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Bellingham

This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded 39 km (24 mi) southeast of Bellingham, WA, at 11:17 am PDT on 31 July 2026 (18:17 UTC), 5.7 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 2 km N of Lyman, Washington

38 km (23 mi) SE of Bellingham, WA · 106 km (66 mi) NNE of Seattle, WA

11:17 am PDT, Jul 31, 2026 · · 5.7 km deep · released about 56 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Skagit County 19 kmWhatcom County 36 kmSnohomish County 59 kmIsland County 63 kmSan Juan County 77 kmKitsap County 111 kmKing County 119 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
11:17 am PDT on 31 July 2026 ()
Where
39 km (24 mi) southeast of Bellingham, WA · earthquakes near Bellingham
Magnitude
M 2.2 (ml)
Depth
5.7 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Skagit County, 19 km ESE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 70 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 17 km (11 mi) from the epicentre. In Bellingham, 39 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: Sedro-Woolley 14 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

No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 3 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.6 Near Marblemount, Washington · 49 km E of this epicentre
  2. 5.0 6 km W of Conway, Washington · 37 km SW of this epicentre
  3. 5.0 4 km ENE of Deming, Washington · 33 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 48.5530, -122.0570. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Skagit County, WA 19 km (12 mi) ESE earthquakes near Skagit County
Whatcom County, WA 36 km (22 mi) NNE earthquakes near Whatcom County
Snohomish County, WA 59 km (37 mi) SSE earthquakes near Snohomish County
Island County, WA 63 km (39 mi) SW earthquakes near Island County
San Juan County, WA 77 km (48 mi) W earthquakes near San Juan County
Kitsap County, WA 111 km (69 mi) SSW earthquakes near Kitsap County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.0 8 km NW of Swede Heaven, Washington
  2. 0.7 10 km S of Acme, Washington
  3. 1.0 5 km SW of Darrington, Washington
  4. 1.1 1 km WSW of Marietta, Washington
  5. 1.2 1 km WNW of Acme, Washington
  6. 0.8 4 km ENE of Oak Harbor, Washington
  7. 0.9 3 km ENE of Swede Heaven, Washington
  8. 0.4 7 km NE of Sedro-Woolley, Washington
  9. 1.1 11 km N of Concrete, Washington
  10. 1.5 7 km N of Geneva, Washington
  11. 0.9 2 km WNW of Lyman, Washington
  12. 1.1 3 km NNE of Lyman, Washington
  13. 1.4 5 km ENE of Sudden Valley, Washington
  14. 1.1 6 km NE of Oso, Washington
  15. 0.7 6 km SSE of Concrete, Washington

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.