February 3, 1986 Earthquake: Ixchiguan, San Marcos Province, Guatemala
A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck Ixchiguan, San Marcos Province, Guatemala on February 3, 1986 at 15:12:46 UTC, 16 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
- February 3, 1986
- Time
- 15:12:46 UTC
- Place
- Ixchiguan, San Marcos Province, Guatemala
- Magnitude
- 4.7 (mb)
- Focal depth
- 16 km (10 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 15.075° N, 92.072° W
- Country
- Guatemala
The toll
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 500
- Houses damaged
- 500
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.
About 500 houses damaged at Ixchiguan, San Marcos Province, Guatemala. Damage to adobe houses in Mexico near the Tacana Volcano. Felt at Tapachula, Mexico. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 26, 1917, Guatemala City
- April 19, 1902, Quezaltenango, San Marcos, Guatemala
- June 3, 1773, St. Jago, Guatemala
- September 3, 1874, Antigua,chimaltenango,amatitlan, Guatemala
- July 29, 1773, Antigua, Guatemala
- September 8, 2017, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tabasco, Guatemala, Mexico
- November 7, 2012, San Marcos, San Cristobal Cochu, Guatemala
- September 18, 1991, Guatemala City, Pachuta, Solola
- July 22, 1816, Soloma, Guatemala
- September 25, 1968, S Chiapas, Mexico-Guatemala
- July 29, 1978, Patzun, Guatemala
- July 8, 2025, Guatemala City, Escuintla, Sacatepequez
- June 14, 2017, Quetzaltenango, Suchitepequez, Mexico, Guatemala
- July 7, 2014, San Marcos, Mexico, Guatemala
- March 13, 1976, Guatemala
More
Significant earthquakes of 1986The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1986Recent 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 5091.