USGS · August 18, 2026

Magnitude 2.7 earthquake — 35 km NNW of Santa Barbara Is., CA

A magnitude 2.7 earthquake was recorded near 35 km NNW of Santa Barbara Is., CA on Aug 18, 2026, 06:12 AM (local time at the epicentre — PDT, UTC-7), at a depth of about 0.7 km, according to USGS.

USGSFelt by 3 people · community intensity II (weak)Shallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-09-04 18:16 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 2.7 · local (Richter) magnitude
Location
35 km NNW of Santa Barbara Is., CA
Local time at the epicentre
Aug 18, 2026, 06:12 AM — PDT, UTC-7
Time (UTC)
2026-08-18 13:12 UTC
Depth
0.7 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates
33.762, -119.214
Felt reports
Felt by 3 people · community intensity II (weak)
Tsunami
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Significance
112 / 1000 · routine event
Solution quality
34 seismic stations used · 87° azimuthal gap (well-constrained epicentre)
Review status
Reviewed by a seismologist
Catalog
USGS

Open the official catalog record

Epicentre and nearby recent earthquakes

The highlighted circle is this earthquake. Smaller circles are other events recorded nearby in the last 30 days.

What the shaking was like

Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.

People who reported it described intensity II (Weak): Felt by a few people at rest, mostly on upper floors.

Felt it yourself? USGS collects first-hand reports through “Did You Feel It?”, and those reports are what produce the community intensity above.

Who lives nearby

About 0 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 9,718,798 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
Port Hueneme42.9 km N22,423
Channel Islands Beach44.0 km N3,103
Oxnard48.5 km N207,254
Malibu49.6 km NE12,965
El Rio52.9 km N7,198
Camarillo53.0 km NNE67,608
Casa Conejo53.1 km NNE3,249
Westlake Village56.9 km NE8,507
Thousand Oaks57.1 km NE129,339
Ventura57.8 km N96,769

Earthquake history in this area

12 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5+ have been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in California.

Other earthquakes near this epicentre

1 other event within 100 km in the last 30 days.

Be first to know about the next earthquake near 35 km NNW of Santa Barbara Is., CA

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 35 km NNW of Santa Barbara Is., CA earthquake?

Magnitude 2.7 (local (Richter) magnitude), at a depth of 0.7 km. Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.

Exactly when did it happen?

Aug 18, 2026, 06:12 AM (local time at the epicentre — PDT, UTC-7). In universal time: 2026-08-18 13:12 UTC.

Was it felt?

Felt by 3 people · community intensity II (weak). Felt by a few people at rest, mostly on upper floors.

Was there a tsunami warning?

No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.

Which towns are closest to the epicentre?

The closest is Port Hueneme, 42.9 km N (population 22,423).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 6.7 (Northridge, California, earthquake, 1994), and 1 further events were recorded within 100 km in the last 30 days.

How do I get alerts for the next earthquake here?

Install the free SeismoWatch Android app, draw a box over this area, set a minimum magnitude, and turn alerts on.

About this page

Event data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and, in Venezuela, FUNVISIS. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.