September 28, 2004 Earthquake: Parkfield, San Miguel, Central, California, United States
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Parkfield, San Miguel, Central, California, United States on September 28, 2004 at 17:15:24 UTC, 9 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
- September 28, 2004
- Time
- 17:15:24 UTC
- Place
- Parkfield, San Miguel, Central, California, United States
- Magnitude
- 6 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 9 km (6 mi)
- Intensity
- 6 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 35.819° N, 120.364° W
- Country
- United States
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 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.
Minor damage (VI) at Parkfield, San Miguel and
Shandon. Felt (V) at Avenal, Bradley, Coalinga, King
City, Lockwood, Paso Robles and Templeton. Felt in
much of California from Sacramento, Santa Rosa and San
Francisco south as far as Los Angeles and Orange
County. Also felt at Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- October 18, 1989, Loma Prieta, California, United States
- June 29, 1925, Santa Barbara, California, United States
- July 21, 1952, Kern County, California, United States
- January 9, 1857, San Luis Obispo, California, United States
- December 22, 2003, Paso Robles,templeton,atascadero, California, United States
- August 22, 1952, Kern County, California, United States
- December 21, 1812, Purisima, California, United States
- March 3, 1901, San Diego, California, United States
- May 2, 1983, Central, Coalinga, California, United States
- February 1, 1853, San Simeon, California, United States
- November 4, 1927, Off Coast, S, California, United States
- July 28, 1902, Southern, California, United States
- March 25, 1806, Santa Barbara, California, United States
- May 31, 1854, Southern, California, United States
- August 13, 1978, Southern, California, United States
More
Significant earthquakes of 2004The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2004Recent 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 5803.