The April 8, 1961 earthquake
M5.5near Tres Pinos, California
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake, centred in San Benito County. The 186th strongest in California’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 5.9 on April 8, 1961.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.5
- local magnitude (ml)
- Depth
- —
- Not recorded
- Local time
- Saturday, April 8, 1961
- 23:25 PST; 07:25 UTC on Apr 9, 1961
- In California’s record
- 186th
- strongest of 97,065 since 1900
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ushis2492 (“12 km S of Tres Pinos, 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 · 3.8 mi
- Merced CountyCA · 13.8 mi
- Santa Clara CountyCA · 19.8 mi
- Fresno CountyCA · 21.5 mi
- Santa Cruz CountyCA · 21.6 mi
- Stanislaus CountyCA · 31.5 mi
- Madera CountyCA · 48.0 mi
Cities, largest first
- SalinasCA · 18.5 mi
- Santa CruzCA · 45.4 mi
- GilroyCA · 27.4 mi
- WatsonvilleCA · 31.0 mi
- Los BanosCA · 36.5 mi
- HollisterCA · 13.1 mi
- Morgan HillCA · 36.3 mi
- SeasideCA · 29.0 mi
- MontereyCA · 32.8 mi
- SoledadCA · 17.2 mi
- MarinaCA · 27.1 mi
- GreenfieldCA · 25.0 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
- June 11, 1903M6.1
- May 25, 1905M6.1
- April 8, 1961M5.9
- July 25, 1926M5.8
- August 6, 1916M5.8
- March 10, 1910M5.8
- December 31, 1910M5.7
- June 24, 1939M5.5
- March 2, 1959M5.3
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.