The January 19, 1960 earthquake
M5.0near Ridgemark, California
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake, centred in San Benito County. The 451st strongest in California’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 5.3 on March 2, 1959.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.0
- local magnitude (ml)
- Depth
- —
- Not recorded
- Local time
- Tuesday, January 19, 1960
- 19:25 PST; 03:25 UTC on Jan 20, 1960
- In California’s record
- 451st
- strongest of 97,065 since 1900
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ushis2433 (“6 km WSW of Ridgemark, 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
- San Benito CountyCA · inside
- Monterey CountyCA · 3.0 mi
- Santa Clara CountyCA · 10.9 mi
- Santa Cruz CountyCA · 11.5 mi
- Merced CountyCA · 14.6 mi
- Stanislaus CountyCA · 25.6 mi
- Fresno CountyCA · 28.6 mi
- San Joaquin CountyCA · 48.3 mi
- Alameda CountyCA · 48.4 mi
- San Mateo CountyCA · 49.7 mi
Cities, largest first
- San JoseCA · 41.2 mi
- SalinasCA · 12.8 mi
- Santa ClaraCA · 49.8 mi
- Santa CruzCA · 35.8 mi
- GilroyCA · 17.6 mi
- WatsonvilleCA · 21.1 mi
- Los BanosCA · 38.0 mi
- HollisterCA · 5.3 mi
- Morgan HillCA · 26.8 mi
- CampbellCA · 44.8 mi
- Los GatosCA · 42.3 mi
- SeasideCA · 23.9 mi
Earthquakes around the epicentre
2,786 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
- August 2, 1903M6.2
- June 11, 1903M6.1
- July 25, 1926M5.8
- September 4, 1955M5.8
- August 6, 1916M5.8
- March 10, 1910M5.8
- December 31, 1910M5.7
- October 24, 1926M5.5
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.