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The September 11, 1938 earthquake

M5.5near Shelter Cove, California

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake, centred in Mendocino County. The 186th strongest in California’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 5.9 on September 9, 1931.

The earthquake

Magnitude
5.5
surface-wave magnitude (ms)
Depth
—
Not recorded
Local time
Sunday, September 11, 1938
22:10 PST; 06:10 UTC on Sep 12, 1938
Epicentre
40.00°N, 124.00°W
In Mendocino County
In California’s record
186th
strongest of 97,065 since 1900
Within 50 miles
3
counties; more on this date

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ushis1209 (“7 km ESE of Shelter Cove, California”). 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

1,686 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: 4 1974: 17 1975: 27 1976: 28 1977: 33 1978: 53 1979: 38 1980: 48 1981: 77 1982: 32 1983: 55 1984: 28 1985: 33 1986: 56 1987: 68 1988: 32 1989: 30 1990: 35 1991: 58 1992: 277 277 1993: 41 1994: 43 1995: 27 1996: 16 1997: 16 1998: 14 1999: 15 2000: 19 2001: 18 2002: 27 2003: 22 2004: 16 2005: 15 2006: 23 2007: 12 2008: 8 2009: 8 2010: 12 2011: 5 2012: 14 2013: 16 2014: 16 2015: 11 2016: 11 2017: 17 2018: 3 2019: 24 2020: 20 2021: 39 2022: 34 2023: 19 2024: 62 2025: 14 19731978198319881993199820032008201320182023

Earlier earthquakes of magnitude 5 or more within 50 miles, strongest first

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