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The April 18, 1906 earthquake

M6.3Imperial Valley, California

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake, centred in Imperial County. The 46th strongest in California’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles in the catalogue, which runs from 1900.

The earthquake

Magnitude
6.3
moment magnitude (mw)
Depth
—
Not recorded
Local time
Wednesday, April 18, 1906
16:30 PST; 00:30 UTC on Apr 19, 1906
Epicentre
32.90°N, 115.50°W
In Imperial County
In California’s record
46th
strongest of 97,065 since 1900
Within 50 miles
4
counties; more on this date

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ushis451 (“The 1906 Imperial Valley, California Earthquake”). The USGS event page carries the ShakeMap, felt reports and the official summary.

Counties and cities within 50 miles

Distance from the epicentre to each county boundary (zero when inside) and to each city centre.

Counties

Cities, largest first

Earthquakes around the epicentre

3,623 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of this epicentre since 1973.

Earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of the epicentre, by year 1973: 34 1974: 23 1975: 67 1976: 56 1977: 55 1978: 35 1979: 287 1980: 50 1981: 42 1982: 18 1983: 31 1984: 19 1985: 15 1986: 33 1987: 246 1988: 51 1989: 55 1990: 39 1991: 25 1992: 26 1993: 55 1994: 18 1995: 12 1996: 14 1997: 33 1998: 20 1999: 75 2000: 43 2001: 15 2002: 89 2003: 21 2004: 25 2005: 67 2006: 63 2007: 31 2008: 110 2009: 84 2010: 934 934 2011: 54 2012: 98 2013: 45 2014: 23 2015: 21 2016: 55 2017: 26 2018: 20 2019: 21 2020: 109 2021: 82 2022: 26 2023: 40 2024: 67 2025: 20 19731978198319881993199820032008201320182023

No earlier earthquake of magnitude 5 or more within 50 miles in the catalogue since 1900.

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.