USGS · August 11, 2026

Magnitude 3.9 earthquake — 6 km NW of Pinnacles, CA

A magnitude 3.9 earthquake was recorded near 6 km NW of Pinnacles, CA on Aug 11, 2026, 03:19 AM (local time at the epicentre — PDT, UTC-7), at a depth of about 4.6 km, according to USGS.

USGSFelt by 34 people · community intensity IV (light)Shaking IVShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-09-04 18:47 UTC

The full record

Magnitude: M 3.9 · moment magnitude
Location: 6 km NW of Pinnacles, CA
Local time at the epicentre: Aug 11, 2026, 03:19 AM — PDT, UTC-7
Time (UTC): 2026-08-11 10:19 UTC
Depth: 4.6 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates: 36.578, -121.182
Felt reports: Felt by 34 people · community intensity IV (light)
Estimated shaking: IV · Light
Tsunami: No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Significance: 253 / 1000 · routine event
Solution quality: 85 seismic stations used · 40° 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.

Estimated instrumental shaking IV (Light): Felt indoors by many; dishes and windows rattle and parked cars rock.

People who reported it described intensity IV (Light): Felt indoors by many; dishes and windows rattle and parked cars rock.

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 50,660 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 935,271 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

Place	Distance	Population
Soledad	21.3 km SW	25,003
Gonzales	24.7 km WSW	8,473
Greenfield	29.1 km S	17,184
Chualar	30.0 km W	1,190
Ridgemark	30.8 km NNW	3,016
Hollister	36.3 km NNW	37,462
King City	40.9 km S	13,902
San Juan Bautista	43.5 km NW	1,961
Salinas	43.7 km WNW	157,380
Boronda	46.0 km WNW	1,710

Earthquake history in this area

No earthquake of magnitude 4.5+ has been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in California.

Other earthquakes near this epicentre

11 other events within 100 km in the last 30 days.

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 6 km NW of Pinnacles, CA earthquake?

Magnitude 3.9 (moment magnitude), at a depth of 4.6 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 11, 2026, 03:19 AM (local time at the epicentre — PDT, UTC-7). In universal time: 2026-08-11 10:19 UTC.

Was it felt?

Felt by 34 people · community intensity IV (light). Felt indoors by many; dishes and windows rattle and parked cars rock.

Was there a tsunami warning?

No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.

Which towns are closest to the epicentre?

The closest is Soledad, 21.3 km SW (population 25,003).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

11 further events were recorded within 100 km of the epicentre 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.