California earthquakes

M3.5 earthquake 5 km S of Gilroy, California

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake struck 5 km S of Gilroy, California on Fri, Oct 31, 1986, 10:46 AM PST (18:46 UTC), 5 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.1 16 km SSE of Livermore, 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
3.5 (ml), minor
Local time
UTC
1986-10-31 18:46:14 UTC
Depth
5.3 km (3.3 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.954° N, 121.563° 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 0.2 km horizontally, 0.5 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
21°
Stations used
63

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 163 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.7Central California · 14559 days ago · 10 km deep · 11 km away
  2. 1.726 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 14559 days ago · 8 km deep · 76 km away
  3. 1.516 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14559 days ago · 3 km deep · 60 km away
  4. 2.112 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14558 days ago · 5 km deep · 39 km away
  5. 1.722 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14558 days ago · 9 km deep · 63 km away
  6. 1.712 km SSE of Livermore, California · 14558 days ago · 4 km deep · 71 km away
  7. 2.119 km S of Big Sur, California · 14557 days ago · 17 km deep · 99 km away
  8. 1.69 km NE of Gilroy, California · 14557 days ago · 8 km deep · 13 km away
  9. 1.66 km NE of Ridgemark, California · 14556 days ago · 5 km deep · 25 km away
  10. 1.87 km E of East Foothills, California · 14556 days ago · 9 km deep · 50 km away
  11. 2.213 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14556 days ago · 7 km deep · 60 km away
  12. 2.75 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 14555 days ago · 7 km deep · 27 km away
  13. 1.511 km SSE of Livermore, California · 14554 days ago · 4 km deep · 72 km away
  14. 1.612 km SSE of Livermore, California · 14554 days ago · 4 km deep · 71 km away
  15. 2.818 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14553 days ago · 6 km deep · 64 km away
  16. 1.716 km SSE of Livermore, California · 14553 days ago · 2 km deep · 68 km away
  17. 2.115 km SSE of Livermore, California · 14553 days ago · 2 km deep · 68 km away
  18. 2.522 km NE of Soledad, California · 14553 days ago · 3 km deep · 53 km away
  19. 3.015 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14552 days ago · 3 km deep · 42 km away
  20. 1.918 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14552 days ago · 5 km deep · 62 km away
  21. 2.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14550 days ago · 0 km deep · 73 km away
  22. 1.53 km ENE of Tres Pinos, California · 14550 days ago · 8 km deep · 30 km away
  23. 1.725 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14550 days ago · 1 km deep · 73 km away
  24. 2.33 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 14549 days ago · 4 km deep · 16 km away
  25. 2.024 km SW of Davenport, California · 14549 days ago · 16 km deep · 72 km away
  26. 3.121 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14547 days ago · 6 km deep · 49 km away
  27. 1.812 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 14547 days ago · 8 km deep · 55 km away
  28. 2.324 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14547 days ago · 5 km deep · 72 km away
  29. 1.618 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14547 days ago · 6 km deep · 63 km away
  30. 1.97 km SSW of Ridgemark, California · 14546 days ago · 1 km deep · 26 km away
  31. 1.55 km ENE of Hollister, California · 14546 days ago · 6 km deep · 21 km away
  32. 1.616 km SSE of Livermore, California · 14546 days ago · 3 km deep · 67 km away
  33. 2.216 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14545 days ago · 9 km deep · 43 km away
  34. 1.725 km NE of Soledad, California · 14544 days ago · 9 km deep · 58 km away
  35. 2.012 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14544 days ago · 7 km deep · 59 km away
  36. 1.95 km ESE of Aromas, California · 14544 days ago · 6 km deep · 10 km away
  37. 1.74 km SSE of Byron, California · 14544 days ago · 4 km deep · 98 km away
  38. 1.61 km SW of San Ramon, California · 14544 days ago · 8 km deep · 98 km away
  39. 2.516 km N of Morgan Hill, California · 14543 days ago · 6 km deep · 37 km away
  40. 1.516 km SSE of Livermore, California · 14542 days ago · 2 km deep · 68 km away
  41. 1.52 km SSW of La Honda, California · 14542 days ago · 6 km deep · 75 km away
  42. 2.25 km ENE of Hollister, California · 14542 days ago · 6 km deep · 22 km away
  43. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 14542 days ago · 7 km deep · 54 km away
  44. 1.84 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 14540 days ago · 8 km deep · 28 km away
  45. 1.73 km NNW of Hollister, California · 14540 days ago · 7 km deep · 15 km away
  46. 2.45 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 14540 days ago · 4 km deep · 26 km away
  47. 2.112 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 14540 days ago · 7 km deep · 43 km away
  48. 2.214 km N of Morgan Hill, California · 14539 days ago · 5 km deep · 35 km away
  49. 1.722 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14539 days ago · 2 km deep · 61 km away
  50. 1.522 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14539 days ago · 3 km deep · 61 km away
  51. 1.922 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14538 days ago · 7 km deep · 49 km away
  52. 2.415 km N of Morgan Hill, California · 14538 days ago · 6 km deep · 36 km away
  53. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14538 days ago · 5 km deep · 72 km away
  54. 2.015 km N of Morgan Hill, California · 14537 days ago · 7 km deep · 36 km away
  55. 1.87 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 14537 days ago · 1 km deep · 25 km away
  56. 1.75 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 14537 days ago · 6 km deep · 27 km away
  57. 1.513 km N of Morgan Hill, California · 14537 days ago · 3 km deep · 33 km away
  58. 2.2Northern California · 14536 days ago · 7 km deep · 56 km away
  59. 2.115 km N of Morgan Hill, California · 14536 days ago · 6 km deep · 36 km away
  60. 1.88 km ENE of Tres Pinos, California · 14536 days ago · 8 km deep · 34 km away

The first 60 of 163.

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc86929 (also filed as usp0002zj1). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:42 PM UTC.