The March 2, 1959 earthquake
M5.3near Gilroy, California
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake, centred in Santa Clara County. The 269th strongest in California’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 5.8 on September 4, 1955.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.3
- local magnitude (ml)
- Depth
- —
- Not recorded
- Local time
- Monday, March 2, 1959
- 15:27 PST; 23:27 UTC
- In California’s record
- 269th
- strongest of 97,065 since 1900
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ushis2362 (“3 km SW of Gilroy, 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 Clara CountyCA · inside
- Santa Cruz CountyCA · 3.3 mi
- San Benito CountyCA · 5.2 mi
- Monterey CountyCA · 5.7 mi
- Stanislaus CountyCA · 16.1 mi
- Merced CountyCA · 19.5 mi
- San Mateo CountyCA · 34.4 mi
- San Joaquin CountyCA · 35.2 mi
- Alameda CountyCA · 35.3 mi
- Fresno CountyCA · 41.2 mi
Cities, largest first
- San JoseCA · 24.6 mi
- FremontCA · 40.0 mi
- SalinasCA · 20.3 mi
- SunnyvaleCA · 36.4 mi
- Santa ClaraCA · 33.3 mi
- Mountain ViewCA · 39.0 mi
- LivermoreCA · 49.4 mi
- Redwood CityCA · 49.9 mi
- MilpitasCA · 35.0 mi
- PleasantonCA · 49.7 mi
- Palo AltoCA · 41.4 mi
- Union CityCA · 48.6 mi
Earthquakes around the epicentre
2,753 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
- September 4, 1955M5.8
- August 6, 1916M5.8
- March 10, 1910M5.8
- December 31, 1910M5.7
- 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.