The April 25, 1954 earthquake
M5.3near Interlaken, California
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake, centred in Santa Cruz County. The 269th strongest in California’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 5.5 on June 24, 1939.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.3
- local magnitude (ml)
- Depth
- —
- Not recorded
- Local time
- Sunday, April 25, 1954
- 13:33 PDT; 20:33 UTC
- In California’s record
- 269th
- strongest of 97,065 since 1900
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ushis1934 (“4 km ESE of Interlaken, 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
- Santa Cruz CountyCA · inside
- Monterey CountyCA · 1.3 mi
- Santa Clara CountyCA · 2.1 mi
- San Benito CountyCA · 3.3 mi
- Stanislaus CountyCA · 21.7 mi
- Merced CountyCA · 24.4 mi
- San Mateo CountyCA · 32.4 mi
- Alameda CountyCA · 38.4 mi
- San Joaquin CountyCA · 39.7 mi
- Fresno CountyCA · 44.3 mi
Cities, largest first
- San JoseCA · 26.1 mi
- FremontCA · 41.3 mi
- SalinasCA · 17.0 mi
- SunnyvaleCA · 36.6 mi
- Santa ClaraCA · 33.7 mi
- Mountain ViewCA · 38.9 mi
- Redwood CityCA · 49.7 mi
- MilpitasCA · 36.4 mi
- Palo AltoCA · 40.8 mi
- Union CityCA · 49.8 mi
- Santa CruzCA · 19.7 mi
- GilroyCA · 7.4 mi
Earthquakes around the epicentre
2,714 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
- July 1, 1911M6.5
- October 22, 1926M6.3
- October 22, 1926M6.3
- August 2, 1903M6.2
- June 11, 1903M6.1
- March 10, 1910M5.8
- August 6, 1916M5.8
- December 31, 1910M5.7
- October 24, 1926M5.5
- November 8, 1914M5.5
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.