January 4, 1968 Earthquake: Managua, Nicaragua
A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck Managua, Nicaragua on January 4, 1968 at 10:03 UTC, 5 km below the surface.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- January 4, 1968
- Time
- 10:03 UTC
- Place
- Managua, Nicaragua
- Magnitude
- 4.6 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 5 km (3 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 12.100° N, 86.200° W
- Country
- Nicaragua
The toll
- Damage
- $2 million
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
January 4, 1968, 10:03 UTC, 12.1 N, 86.3 W, depth 5 km, magnitude 4.6. Felt at Masaya, Granada, and Carazo. 500 houses evacuated South Managua. Changes in level. (reference #1199)
$2 million damage. (reference #1250)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 23, 1972, Managua, Nicaragua
- March 31, 1931, Managua, Nicaragua
- March 31, 1930, Managua, Nicaragua
- September 2, 1992, Masachapa, Costa Rica, Nicaragua
- July 6, 2000, Masaya, Nicaragua
- April 10, 2014, Nagarote, Managua, Nicaragua
- September 28, 2016, Leon, Nicaragua
- April 14, 2014, Managua, Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua
- April 29, 1898, Leon, Chinandega, Managua, Nicaragua
- October 1, 2004, Chinandega, Leon, Nicaragua
- November 5, 1926, Managua,granada,masaya,chinandega, Nicaragua
- 1663, Momotomba, Granada, Nicaragua
- June 18, 1870, Leon, Nicaragua
- January 24, 1956, Puerto Samoza, Nicaragua
- December 16, 1985, Rivas, Masaya, Nicaragua
More
Significant earthquakes of 1968The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1968Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 4423.