July 29, 2008 Earthquake: Los Angeles, California, United States
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Los Angeles, California, United States on July 29, 2008 at 18:42:15 UTC, 15 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
- July 29, 2008
- Time
- 18:42:15 UTC
- Place
- Los Angeles, California, United States
- Magnitude
- 5.4 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 15 km (9 mi)
- Intensity
- 6 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 33.953° N, 117.761° W
- Country
- United States
The toll
- Injuries
- 8
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses damaged
- Few (about 1 to 50)
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.
Three people injured at Brea and five people injured in the Wilshire District of Los Angeles. Minor damage to windows and brick walls at Los Angeles and Topanga. Felt (VI) at Anaheim, Artesia, Brea, Chino, Chino Hills, Covina, Diamond Bar, Fullerton, La Puente, Los Alamitos, Montclair, Pomona, Placentia, San Dimas, Walnut, West Covina, Whittier and Yorba Linda. (reference #1053)
8 injured, $100 million in economic losses (reference #13727)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- March 11, 1933, Long Beach, California, United States
- February 9, 1971, San Fernando, California, United States
- January 17, 1994, Northridge, California, United States
- December 8, 1812, San Juan Capistrano, California, United States
- July 21, 1952, Kern County, California, United States
- October 1, 1987, Whittier, California, United States
- December 25, 1899, California, United States
- June 28, 1992, Landers, Yucca Valley, California, United States
- June 28, 1991, Arcadia, Glendale, Los Angeles, California, United States
- August 22, 1952, Kern County, California, United States
- October 4, 1987, Whittier, Pasadena, California, United States
- April 21, 1918, San Jacinto, Hemet, California, United States
- August 31, 1930, Southern, California, United States
- July 4, 2019, Ridgecrest, Nevada, California, United States
- December 21, 1812, Purisima, California, United States
More
Significant earthquakes of 2008The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2008Recent 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 8166.