California earthquakes

M2.7 earthquake 5km SSW of Gilroy, CA

A magnitude 2.7 earthquake struck 5km SSW of Gilroy, CA on Mon, Jan 6, 2020, 5:36 AM PST (13:36 UTC), 3 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.6 12km SSE of Tres Pinos, CA. 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
2.7 (Md, duration), micro
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
2020-01-06 13:36:45 UTC
Depth
3.3 km (2.0 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.960° N, 121.590° W
Felt reports
45
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Magnitude estimates

Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.

Mag.ScaleComputed byNotes
2.68Md, durationNorthern California Seismic SystemPreferred · Final · ±0.179 · 92 stations
2.5ML, local (Richter)USGS National Earthquake Information CenterReviewed · ±0.047 · 60 stations

Did you feel it?

45 people reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was V, moderate shaking.

Did You Feel It? map: shaking reported by the public
Shaking reported by the public, by area. Map: USGS Did You Feel It?

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty
About 0.1 km horizontally, 0.2 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.18
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
23°
Stations used
82

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 121 in the 60 days after this one and 54 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 121.

Before

Earthquakes todayCalifornia earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc73324366 (also filed as us70006v8g). Read Mon, Oct 5, 2026, 8:37 AM UTC.