August 9, 1991 Earthquake: Cartago, Costa Rica
A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck Cartago, Costa Rica on August 9, 1991 at 09:33:49 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
- August 9, 1991
- Time
- 09:33:49 UTC
- Place
- Cartago, Costa Rica
- Magnitude
- 4.7 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 5 km (3 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 9.737° N, 84.054° W
- Country
- Costa Rica
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses damaged
- 30
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.
At least 30 houses damaged in the Cartago area. Some landslides occurred. Felt in much of Costa Rica. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 4, 1910, Cartago, San Jose, Costa Rica
- April 22, 1991, Limon, Pandora, Panama, Costa Rica
- December 30, 1952, Costa Rica
- April 14, 1973, Tilaran, Arenal, Rio Chiquito, Costa Rica
- January 8, 2009, La Paz, Costa Rica
- September 1, 1955, Costa Rica
- November 20, 2004, San Jose, Parrita, Quepos, Costa Rica
- December 5, 1941, Costa Rica-Panama
- April 3, 1983, W, SE, Panama, Costa Rica
- December 22, 1990, Alajuela, Santiago DE Puriscal, Costa Rica
- July 3, 1983, San Jose, Costa Rica
- July 10, 1993, Turrialba, Cartago, Costa Rica
- November 13, 2017, Jaco, Costa Rica
- September 5, 2012, Nicoya, Costa Rica
- December 25, 2003, Puerto Armuelles, Panama-Costa Rica
More
Significant earthquakes of 1991The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1991Recent 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 5302.