Washington earthquakes

M2.1 earthquake 1 km NW of Federal Way, Washington

A magnitude 2.1 earthquake struck 1 km NW of Federal Way, Washington on Fri, Sep 15, 1978, 9:49 AM PDT (16:49 UTC), 14 km (9 mi) below the surface.

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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
2.1 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1978-09-15 16:49:27 UTC
Depth
13.9 km (8.6 mi), shallow
Epicenter
47.336° N, 122.329° 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 0.4 km horizontally, 1.0 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.08
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
101°
Stations used
12

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 5 in the 60 days after this one and 6 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.510 km NE of Ashford, Washington · 17515 days ago · 8 km deep · 66 km away
  2. 1.98 km ESE of Kapowsin, Washington · 17508 days ago · 1 km deep · 45 km away
  3. 1.62 km ENE of Dash Point, Washington · 17508 days ago · 24 km deep · 6 km away
  4. 1.61 km WSW of Auburn, Washington · 17508 days ago · 10 km deep · 7 km away
  5. 1.915 km WSW of Alder, Washington · 17487 days ago · 11 km deep · 67 km away

Before

  1. 1.610 km NNE of Snoqualmie, Washington · 17542 days ago · -1 km deep · 53 km away
  2. 1.96 km W of Burley, Washington · 17549 days ago · 22 km deep · 31 km away
  3. 2.16 km N of Kingston, Washington · 17552 days ago · 14 km deep · 59 km away
  4. 1.66 km NNE of Hoodsport, Washington · 17555 days ago · 2 km deep · 61 km away
  5. 3.27 km SW of Brinnon, Washington · 17558 days ago · 46 km deep · 57 km away
  6. 2.310 km S of Baring, Washington · 17569 days ago · 11 km deep · 74 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event uw10847893. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:21 PM UTC.