California earthquakes

M2.7 earthquake 21km NW of Tehachapi, CA

A magnitude 2.7 earthquake struck 21km NW of Tehachapi, CA on Sun, May 6, 1956, 2:56 AM GMT-7 (09:56 UTC), 6 km (4 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.0 23km SSW of Bakersfield, CA. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
2.7 (ml), micro
Local time
UTC
1956-05-06 09:56:11 UTC
Depth
6.0 km (3.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
35.274° N, 118.601° W
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty
About 1.2 km horizontally, 31.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.44
Depth from
Operator assigned
Station coverage gap
124°
Stations used
9

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 17 in the 60 days after this one and 4 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 3.117km SE of Bodfish, CA · 25713 days ago · 2 km deep · 32 km away
  2. 2.926km NNE of Arvin, CA · 25709 days ago · 6 km deep · 17 km away
  3. 2.816km E of Arvin, CA · 25705 days ago · 6 km deep · 7 km away
  4. 2.821km NE of Arvin, CA · 25702 days ago · 6 km deep · 12 km away
  5. 3.49km NE of Grapevine, CA · 25701 days ago · 4 km deep · 39 km away
  6. 3.46km N of Pine Mountain Club, CA · 25699 days ago · 6 km deep · 65 km away
  7. 2.923km S of Bodfish, CA · 25698 days ago · 6 km deep · 17 km away
  8. 2.923km NE of Lamont, CA · 25690 days ago · 6 km deep · 21 km away
  9. 2.921km ENE of Arvin, CA · 25686 days ago · 6 km deep · 2 km away
  10. 4.023km SSW of Bakersfield, CA · 25685 days ago · 6 km deep · 51 km away
  11. 2.926km NNW of Tehachapi, CA · 25683 days ago · 6 km deep · 9 km away
  12. 3.025km S of Bodfish, CA · 25682 days ago · 6 km deep · 12 km away
  13. 3.018km SE of Bodfish, CA · 25680 days ago · 1 km deep · 32 km away
  14. 3.05km E of Bakersfield, CA · 25675 days ago · 6 km deep · 36 km away
  15. 3.621km N of Tehachapi, CA · 25673 days ago · 6 km deep · 12 km away
  16. 3.322km N of Tehachapi, CA · 25665 days ago · 6 km deep · 13 km away
  17. 3.122km W of Johannesburg, CA · 25663 days ago · 6 km deep · 66 km away

Before

  1. 3.18km N of Lamont, CA · 25734 days ago · 6 km deep · 29 km away
  2. 2.93km NE of Lake Isabella, CA · 25734 days ago · 3 km deep · 42 km away
  3. 2.814km S of Arvin, CA · 25735 days ago · 2 km deep · 29 km away
  4. 3.424km NE of Arvin, CA · 25738 days ago · 6 km deep · 10 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci3295139. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 2:33 AM UTC.