The January 11, 1939 earthquake
M5.5California-Nevada border region
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake, centred in Lyon County. The 37th strongest in Nevada’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 6.1 on June 25, 1933.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.5
- as reported (fa)
- Depth
- —
- Not recorded
- Local time
- Wednesday, January 11, 1939
- 14:00 PST; 22:00 UTC
- In Nevada’s record
- 37th
- strongest of 8,110 since 1900
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ushis1237 (“California-Nevada border region”). 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
- Lyon CountyNV · inside
- Douglas CountyNV · 6.0 mi
- Mineral CountyNV · 10.7 mi
- Carson CityNV · 19.7 mi
- Churchill CountyNV · 21.5 mi
- Storey CountyNV · 27.7 mi
- Mono CountyCA · 28.7 mi
- Alpine CountyCA · 28.8 mi
- Washoe CountyNV · 32.1 mi
- El Dorado CountyCA · 37.2 mi
- Placer CountyCA · 43.3 mi
- Nevada CountyCA · 48.4 mi
- Tuolumne CountyCA · 48.7 mi
Cities, largest first
- SparksNV · 48.3 mi
- Carson CityNV · 31.2 mi
- FernleyNV · 39.0 mi
- South Lake TahoeCA · 42.2 mi
Earthquakes around the epicentre
832 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of this epicentre since 1973.
Earlier earthquakes of magnitude 5 or more within 50 miles, strongest first
- April 24, 1914M6.4
- June 25, 1933M6.1
- February 18, 1914M6.0
- April 5, 1915M5.0
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.