January 20, 2005 Earthquake: North Island, New Zealand
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck North Island, New Zealand on January 20, 2005 at 18:56:30 UTC, 39 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 20, 2005
- Time
- 18:56:30 UTC
- Place
- North Island, New Zealand
- Magnitude
- 5.3 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 39 km (24 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 41.223° S, 175.210° E
- Country
- New Zealand
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 at Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Wellington and on Kapiti. Felt at Porirua and in much of the Wellington area. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- February 2, 1931, Hawke Bay, New Zealand
- October 18, 1848, Awatere River, Marlborough, New Zealand
- January 23, 1855, Wellington,waiouru,wanganui,otaki, New Zealand
- October 15, 1848, Northern New Zealand
- December 3, 2011, Cook Strait, New Zealand
- January 20, 2014, Wellington, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand
- March 5, 1934, North Island, New Zealand
- July 21, 2013, Cook Strait, New Zealand
- August 16, 2013, Wellington, Marlborough, New Zealand
- September 8, 1991, Wellington, Wanganui, New Zealand
- May 13, 1990, Dannevirke, Wellington, New Zealand
- July 5, 1845, N. New Zealand
- July 8, 1843, Wanganui, New Zealand
- September 6, 2010, Porangahau, North Island, New Zealand
- August 8, 1904, E of North Island, New Zealand
More
Significant earthquakes of 2005The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2005Recent 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 5838.