California earthquakes

M3.0 earthquake 11 km ESE of Gilroy, California

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck 11 km ESE of Gilroy, California on Sun, May 17, 1981, 12:17 PM PDT (19:17 UTC), 6 km (4 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.9 16 km SW of Volta, California. This one was a foreshock.

Gilroy 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
3.0 (ml), minor
Local time
UTC
1981-05-17 19:17:26 UTC
Depth
6.3 km (3.9 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.962° N, 121.453° 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 0.1 km horizontally, 0.4 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
27°
Stations used
74

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 165 in the 60 days after this one and 8 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.79 km NNW of Hollister, California · 16564 days ago · 7 km deep · 4 km away
  2. 1.815 km E of Seven Trees, California · 16563 days ago · 5 km deep · 41 km away
  3. 1.511 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 16563 days ago · 5 km deep · 0 km away
  4. 2.011 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 16561 days ago · 5 km deep · 0 km away
  5. 3.916 km SW of Volta, California · 16561 days ago · 4 km deep · 36 km away
  6. 1.516 km SW of Volta, California · 16561 days ago · 7 km deep · 36 km away
  7. 1.916 km SW of Volta, California · 16561 days ago · 6 km deep · 36 km away
  8. 2.916 km SW of Volta, California · 16561 days ago · 3 km deep · 36 km away
  9. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16561 days ago · 3 km deep · 66 km away
  10. 1.81 km NW of Emerald Lake Hills, California · 16560 days ago · 3 km deep · 93 km away
  11. 2.031 km WNW of Three Rocks, California · 16560 days ago · 10 km deep · 77 km away
  12. 2.12 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16559 days ago · 8 km deep · 17 km away
  13. 1.920 km SSW of Davenport, California · 16559 days ago · 9 km deep · 71 km away
  14. 1.81 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16558 days ago · 8 km deep · 18 km away
  15. 2.59 km NE of Gilroy, California · 16558 days ago · 9 km deep · 13 km away
  16. 2.55 km SW of Gilroy, California · 16558 days ago · 8 km deep · 13 km away
  17. 1.924 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16558 days ago · 6 km deep · 71 km away
  18. 1.59 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16557 days ago · 3 km deep · 29 km away
  19. 1.83 km E of Union City, California · 16557 days ago · 7 km deep · 85 km away
  20. 1.815 km SE of Livermore, California · 16556 days ago · 2 km deep · 70 km away
  21. 2.621 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16556 days ago · 6 km deep · 44 km away
  22. 1.820 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16556 days ago · 6 km deep · 41 km away
  23. 2.78 km NNE of East Foothills, California · 16555 days ago · 7 km deep · 62 km away
  24. 1.79 km NE of Gilroy, California · 16555 days ago · 8 km deep · 12 km away
  25. 1.99 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 16555 days ago · 8 km deep · 8 km away
  26. 2.26 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 16555 days ago · 9 km deep · 55 km away
  27. 1.66 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 16555 days ago · 9 km deep · 55 km away
  28. 2.46 km NE of East Foothills, California · 16554 days ago · 7 km deep · 57 km away
  29. 2.45 km S of Gilroy, California · 16554 days ago · 7 km deep · 11 km away
  30. 2.39 km NNW of Hollister, California · 16554 days ago · 4 km deep · 3 km away
  31. 2.05 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 16554 days ago · 10 km deep · 21 km away
  32. 1.85 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 16554 days ago · 10 km deep · 21 km away
  33. 2.36 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 16554 days ago · 8 km deep · 22 km away
  34. 2.35 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 16554 days ago · 10 km deep · 21 km away
  35. 2.121 km NE of Soledad, California · 16552 days ago · 2 km deep · 53 km away
  36. 1.624 km NE of King City, California · 16551 days ago · 5 km deep · 80 km away
  37. 1.622 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16551 days ago · 9 km deep · 99 km away
  38. 2.338 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16551 days ago · 7 km deep · 73 km away
  39. 1.611 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16551 days ago · 7 km deep · 47 km away
  40. 1.816 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16551 days ago · 9 km deep · 38 km away
  41. 1.55 km E of Fremont, California · 16550 days ago · 8 km deep · 77 km away
  42. 1.99 km SE of Big Sur, California · 16550 days ago · 15 km deep · 88 km away
  43. 1.63 km NE of Day Valley, California · 16549 days ago · 3 km deep · 35 km away
  44. 1.95 km SE of Aromas, California · 16549 days ago · 6 km deep · 17 km away
  45. 1.823 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16549 days ago · 5 km deep · 66 km away
  46. 1.64 km SSE of Fairview, California · 16549 days ago · 3 km deep · 92 km away
  47. 1.626 km NE of Soledad, California · 16549 days ago · 12 km deep · 53 km away
  48. 2.315 km SE of Livermore, California · 16547 days ago · 2 km deep · 70 km away
  49. 2.77 km WSW of Gilroy, California · 16547 days ago · 5 km deep · 17 km away
  50. 2.47 km WSW of Gilroy, California · 16547 days ago · 5 km deep · 17 km away
  51. 1.716 km SE of Livermore, California · 16547 days ago · 2 km deep · 69 km away
  52. 1.724 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16547 days ago · 5 km deep · 71 km away
  53. 1.81 km SSE of Portola Valley, California · 16547 days ago · 6 km deep · 82 km away
  54. 2.11 km SSE of Portola Valley, California · 16547 days ago · 7 km deep · 82 km away
  55. 2.41 km SSE of Portola Valley, California · 16547 days ago · 6 km deep · 82 km away
  56. 1.79 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16546 days ago · 7 km deep · 50 km away
  57. 2.19 km S of Sunol, California · 16546 days ago · 7 km deep · 71 km away
  58. 1.77 km WSW of Gilroy, California · 16545 days ago · 5 km deep · 17 km away
  59. 1.69 km NNE of Hollister, California · 16544 days ago · 7 km deep · 7 km away
  60. 1.922 km NE of East Foothills, California · 16544 days ago · 5 km deep · 61 km away

The first 60 of 165.

Before

  1. 2.222 km NE of Soledad, California · 16564 days ago · 4 km deep · 48 km away
  2. 1.614 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16564 days ago · 4 km deep · 36 km away
  3. 1.822 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16565 days ago · 3 km deep · 56 km away
  4. 1.914 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16565 days ago · 4 km deep · 37 km away
  5. 2.110 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16565 days ago · 7 km deep · 48 km away
  6. 2.424 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16565 days ago · 8 km deep · 66 km away
  7. 1.913 km N of Morgan Hill, California · 16566 days ago · 3 km deep · 36 km away
  8. 1.63 km NNE of Union City, California · 16566 days ago · 7 km deep · 88 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1063735. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:23 PM UTC.