California earthquakes

M4.4 earthquake 5 km E of Fremont, California

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck 5 km E of Fremont, California on Tue, Mar 3, 1981, 2:45 AM PST (10:45 UTC), 12 km (7 mi) below the surface.

Fremont forecast More in California

Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 4.4 (ml), light
Local time: Tue, Mar 3, 1981, 2:45 AM PST
UTC: 1981-03-03 10:45:12 UTC
Depth: 11.6 km (7.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 37.553° N, 121.932° W
Region: California
Strongest shaking: IV, light shaking
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Shaking

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

Strongest estimated: IV, light shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 5.8% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 0.9 cm/s
Map: Automatic

USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter — Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

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 0.2 km horizontally, 0.5 km in depth
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 56°
Stations used: 72

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 110 in the 60 days after this one and 57 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 110.

Before

Earthquakes today California earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1060947 (also filed as ushis3706, usp0001cgc). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 3:35 PM UTC.