Where do most earthquakes occur in the United States?

Most U.S. earthquakes occur along the Pacific Coast, especially California and Alaska, due to active plate boundaries including the San Andreas Fault and the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

What seismic networks monitor U.S. earthquakes?

Earthquakes in the U.S. are monitored by the USGS, Caltech Seismological Laboratory, the Southern California Seismic Network (SCSN), the California Geological Survey (CGS), and the ShakeAlert early warning system.

What are the major fault zones in the United States?

Major U.S. faults include the San Andreas, Hayward, Calaveras, San Jacinto, and Garlock Faults, along with the Cascadia Subduction Zone and the Mendocino Triple Junction.

United States Earthquakes

This page tracks real-time U.S. earthquakes using USGS data and explains the major fault zones, tectonic plate boundaries, early-warning systems, and high-risk regions such as California, Alaska, and the Pacific Northwest. It also highlights key monitoring networks and notable historical earthquakes.

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📊 United States Earthquake Statistics

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Magnitude 1.5+ • Data from USGS

🔔 Latest United States Earthquakes (M4.0+)

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Latest Quakes Detected in the United States

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Coverage Notice: This map provides full U.S. seismic coverage. Border areas may appear on multiple regional maps to ensure no earthquake activity is missed. This overlap follows best practices in professional seismic monitoring.

United States Earthquake Hotspots – Last 24 Hours

Earthquake activity by region, updated automatically using USGS data.

Central & Eastern U.S.

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Did you know?

California experiences between 10,000 – 40,000 earthquakes per year, most too small to feel.
Alaska produces more large earthquakes (M7+) than any other U.S. state, per decade.
The Cascadia Subduction Zone is capable of generating megathrust earthquakes similar to Japan’s 2011 Tōhoku event.

About Earthquakes in the United States

The United States experiences more earthquakes than any other highly populated region, with thousands of events recorded annually. Most activity is concentrated along the Pacific Plate–North American Plate boundary, particularly in California, Alaska, and the Pacific Northwest. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and regional seismic networks monitor nationwide earthquake activity 24/7.

Who Monitors Earthquakes in the U.S.?

The United States relies on several major scientific networks, including:

USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) – National earthquake monitoring and hazard assessments.
Caltech Seismological Laboratory – Research and seismic operations across Southern California.
SCSN (Southern California Seismic Network) – High-resolution monitoring of California’s most active faults.
CGS (California Geological Survey) – Fault mapping, hazard zones, and geologic analysis.
ShakeAlert – Earthquake early warning system for the West Coast.
MyShake App – Public early warning alerts and real-time reports.

Key U. S. Fault Zones

The most active and hazardous faults in the United States include:

San Andreas Fault – Major strike-slip boundary between the Pacific and North American Plates.
Hayward Fault and Calaveras Fault – Both faults connect so a rupture on one could easily trigger movement on the other.
San Jacinto Fault – One of Southern California’s fastest-slipping faults.
Garlock Fault – Important left-lateral fault across Southern California.
Cascadia Subduction Zone – Capable of M8–M9 megathrust earthquakes.
Mendocino Triple Junction – Intense seismic zone where three major plates meet.

Tectonic Setting

Earthquake activity in the United States is concentrated along the boundary between the Pacific Plate and North American Plate. The West Coast’s seismicity is mainly driven by California’s strike-slip faults, the subduction zone in Alaska, and the Cascadia megathrust in the Pacific Northwest (Washington and Oregon), resulting in one of the most active tectonic regions globally.

Notable United States Earthquakes

1906 San Francisco Earthquake – Devastating M7.9 rupture on the San Andreas Fault.
1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake – Major Bay Area shaking during the World Series.
1994 Northridge Earthquake – Destructive blind-thrust quake in Southern California.
2019 Ridgecrest Sequence – Large M6.4 and M7.1 ruptures in the Eastern California Shear Zone.

Earthquake Early Warning in the U.S.

The ShakeAlert system provides seconds of advance warning before shaking arrives, allowing people to quickly prepare. Alerts are delivered through mobile applications (the MyShake App) public systems, and institutional networks throughout California, Oregon, and Washington

🗺️ Related Maps

View broader region: Global Earthquakes | North America Earthquakes

View specific states: California | Alaska | Washington