California earthquakes

M3.4 earthquake 8 km NE of Cayucos, California

A magnitude 3.4 earthquake struck 8 km NE of Cayucos, California on Thu, Jan 29, 1981, 12:37 PM PST (20:37 UTC), 4 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.6 17 km NW of Parkfield, California. This one was a foreshock.

Cayucos forecastMore in California

Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude
3.4 (ML, local (Richter)), minor
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
1981-01-29 20:37:52 UTC
Depth
3.5 km (2.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
35.509° N, 120.837° 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 0.3 km horizontally, 0.9 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
56°
Stations used
23

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 78 in the 60 days after this one and 36 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.622 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 16682 days ago · 2 km deep · 68 km away
  2. 3.625 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16682 days ago · 2 km deep · 65 km away
  3. 3.512 km NE of Coalinga, California · 16682 days ago · 17 km deep · 94 km away
  4. 3.39km SSW of Huron, CA · 16681 days ago · 5 km deep · 93 km away
  5. 2.512km W of Avenal, CA · 16681 days ago · 5 km deep · 77 km away
  6. 2.410km W of Avenal, CA · 16681 days ago · 5 km deep · 77 km away
  7. 3.425 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16681 days ago · 3 km deep · 65 km away
  8. 3.523 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16681 days ago · 1 km deep · 64 km away
  9. 2.512km NE of Avenal, CA · 16681 days ago · 5 km deep · 96 km away
  10. 2.110 km NE of Coalinga, California · 16679 days ago · 10 km deep · 92 km away
  11. 2.09 km NE of Coalinga, California · 16678 days ago · 10 km deep · 92 km away
  12. 1.83 km SE of San Ardo, California · 16677 days ago · 10 km deep · 54 km away
  13. 1.814 km W of Coalinga, California · 16677 days ago · 2 km deep · 73 km away
  14. 2.022 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 16674 days ago · 5 km deep · 70 km away
  15. 2.322 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 16674 days ago · 5 km deep · 70 km away
  16. 1.71 km E of San Ardo, California · 16673 days ago · 9 km deep · 57 km away
  17. 3.114 km NNE of Shandon, California · 16673 days ago · 4 km deep · 56 km away
  18. 2.014 km W of Oak Shores, California · 16673 days ago · 5 km deep · 41 km away
  19. 1.638 km SE of Big Sur, California · 16671 days ago · 3 km deep · 84 km away
  20. 2.29 km NE of Coalinga, California · 16671 days ago · 10 km deep · 92 km away
  21. 1.67 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 16671 days ago · 7 km deep · 89 km away
  22. 3.411km ENE of Coalinga, CA · 16671 days ago · 5 km deep · 92 km away
  23. 3.513 km W of Avenal, California · 16671 days ago · 9 km deep · 74 km away
  24. 3.316 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 16669 days ago · 3 km deep · 49 km away
  25. 1.512 km NE of San Miguel, California · 16669 days ago · 8 km deep · 41 km away
  26. 1.825 km NE of King City, California · 16668 days ago · 0 km deep · 100 km away
  27. 1.633 km NW of San Simeon, California · 16668 days ago · 8 km deep · 69 km away
  28. 1.816 km N of San Simeon, California · 16667 days ago · 6 km deep · 47 km away
  29. 1.722 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16666 days ago · 9 km deep · 74 km away
  30. 2.331km E of Cholame, CA · 16665 days ago · 5 km deep · 83 km away
  31. 1.620 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16665 days ago · 4 km deep · 63 km away
  32. 2.021 km S of Avenal, California · 16665 days ago · 10 km deep · 71 km away
  33. 2.120km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16665 days ago · 5 km deep · 91 km away
  34. 1.623 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16665 days ago · 6 km deep · 82 km away
  35. 2.323km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16664 days ago · 5 km deep · 92 km away
  36. 2.322km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16664 days ago · 5 km deep · 92 km away
  37. 2.421 km S of Avenal, California · 16664 days ago · 9 km deep · 70 km away
  38. 1.76 km WSW of Avenal, California · 16664 days ago · 13 km deep · 78 km away
  39. 1.88 km WSW of Avenal, California · 16664 days ago · 13 km deep · 76 km away
  40. 2.121 km S of Avenal, California · 16663 days ago · 8 km deep · 69 km away
  41. 2.110 km WSW of Avenal, California · 16663 days ago · 15 km deep · 74 km away
  42. 1.825 km NE of King City, California · 16663 days ago · 8 km deep · 99 km away
  43. 2.822km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16662 days ago · 5 km deep · 93 km away
  44. 1.919 km S of Avenal, California · 16662 days ago · 10 km deep · 74 km away
  45. 1.820 km S of Avenal, California · 16662 days ago · 11 km deep · 75 km away
  46. 1.83 km N of Avenal, California · 16660 days ago · 14 km deep · 87 km away
  47. 1.66 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16659 days ago · 10 km deep · 58 km away
  48. 3.22 km SSW of Edna, California · 16658 days ago · 0 km deep · 41 km away
  49. 3.04 km WSW of Coalinga, California · 16658 days ago · 8 km deep · 78 km away
  50. 1.810 km NE of Coalinga, California · 16656 days ago · 11 km deep · 92 km away
  51. 3.617 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16656 days ago · 5 km deep · 61 km away
  52. 2.621 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16656 days ago · 12 km deep · 80 km away
  53. 2.032km E of Cholame, CA · 16656 days ago · 5 km deep · 84 km away
  54. 2.029km S of Kettleman City, CA · 16655 days ago · 5 km deep · 82 km away
  55. 2.420 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16655 days ago · 12 km deep · 78 km away
  56. 2.723 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16652 days ago · 8 km deep · 75 km away
  57. 2.79 km W of Huron, California · 16652 days ago · 5 km deep · 94 km away
  58. 1.620 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16651 days ago · 12 km deep · 77 km away
  59. 2.021 km S of Avenal, California · 16651 days ago · 11 km deep · 72 km away
  60. 2.120 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16651 days ago · 13 km deep · 77 km away

The first 60 of 78.

Before

  1. 1.722 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16683 days ago · 6 km deep · 84 km away
  2. 2.016 km WSW of Callender, California · 16685 days ago · 3 km deep · 58 km away
  3. 1.913 km N of Coalinga, California · 16685 days ago · 9 km deep · 94 km away
  4. 1.612 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 16685 days ago · 8 km deep · 92 km away
  5. 1.534 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16686 days ago · 8 km deep · 93 km away
  6. 1.73 km SE of San Ardo, California · 16686 days ago · 11 km deep · 54 km away
  7. 1.733 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16686 days ago · 6 km deep · 92 km away
  8. 2.124 km W of San Simeon, California · 16686 days ago · 4 km deep · 60 km away
  9. 1.624 km NE of King City, California · 16688 days ago · 0 km deep · 99 km away
  10. 1.918 km WSW of Callender, California · 16688 days ago · 0 km deep · 59 km away
  11. 2.0Central California · 16692 days ago · 6 km deep · 5 km away
  12. 1.923 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16694 days ago · 6 km deep · 88 km away
  13. 2.57 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16695 days ago · 10 km deep · 58 km away
  14. 3.17 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16696 days ago · 11 km deep · 58 km away
  15. 2.224 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16697 days ago · 11 km deep · 85 km away
  16. 2.013 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16698 days ago · 4 km deep · 59 km away
  17. 3.115 km NW of San Simeon, California · 16698 days ago · 6 km deep · 50 km away
  18. 1.512 km NE of Shandon, California · 16700 days ago · 5 km deep · 56 km away
  19. 3.18 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16702 days ago · 9 km deep · 58 km away
  20. 2.510 km W of Huron, California · 16702 days ago · 9 km deep · 96 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1059762. Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 5:29 PM UTC.