USGS · September 2, 2026
Magnitude 3.0 earthquake — 4 km WSW of Hamilton City, CA
A magnitude 3.0 earthquake was recorded near 4 km WSW of Hamilton City, CA on Sep 2, 2026, 01:18 AM (local time at the epicentre — PDT, UTC-7), at a depth of about 25.6 km, according to USGS.
USGSFelt by 5 people · community intensity II (weak)Shallow (0–70 km)Automatic solution — subject to revision
Updated 2026-09-04 18:45 UTC
The full record
- Magnitude
- M 3.0 · local (Richter) magnitude
- Location
- 4 km WSW of Hamilton City, CA
- Local time at the epicentre
- Sep 2, 2026, 01:18 AM — PDT, UTC-7
- Time (UTC)
- 2026-09-02 08:18 UTC
- Depth
- 25.6 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
- Coordinates
- 39.734, -122.063
- Felt reports
- Felt by 5 people · community intensity II (weak)
- Tsunami
- No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
- Significance
- 136 / 1000 · routine event
- Solution quality
- 32 seismic stations used · 63° azimuthal gap (well-constrained epicentre)
- Review status
- Automatic solution — subject to revision
- Catalog
- USGS
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 149,789 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 577,160 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.
| Place | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton City | 4.3 km ENE | 1,759 |
| Orland | 11.5 km W | 7,550 |
| Chico | 19.3 km E | 121,345 |
| Corning | 23.7 km NNW | 7,548 |
| Durham | 24.6 km ESE | 5,518 |
| Willows | 25.9 km SSW | 6,069 |
| Los Molinos | 32.1 km N | 2,037 |
| Gerber | 36.6 km NNW | 1,060 |
| Forest Ranch | 37.2 km ENE | 1,184 |
| Paradise | 37.8 km E | 26,476 |
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
3 other events within 100 km in the last 30 days.
Be first to know about the next earthquake near 4 km WSW of Hamilton City, CA
SeismoWatch pushes a notification to your Android phone within minutes of a matching earthquake — for the area and magnitude you choose.
Frequently asked questions
How strong was the 4 km WSW of Hamilton City, CA earthquake?
Magnitude 3.0 (local (Richter) magnitude), at a depth of 25.6 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?
Sep 2, 2026, 01:18 AM (local time at the epicentre — PDT, UTC-7). In universal time: 2026-09-02 08:18 UTC.
Was it felt?
Felt by 5 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 Hamilton City, 4.3 km ENE (population 1,759).
Are earthquakes normal in this area?
Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 7.2 (The 1992 Petrolia, California Earthquake, 1992), and 3 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.