USGS · September 19, 2026

Magnitude 2.5 earthquake near Milpitas, California

A magnitude 2.5 earthquake was recorded near 10 km ENE of Milpitas, CA on Sep 19, 2026, 03:52 AM (local time at the epicentre — PDT, UTC-7), at a depth of about 2.7 km, according to USGS.

USGSFelt by 1 person · community intensity II (weak)Shallow (0–70 km)Automatic solution — subject to revision

Updated 2026-09-19 11:47 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 2.5 · duration magnitude
Location
10 km ENE of Milpitas, CA
Local time at the epicentre
Sep 19, 2026, 03:52 AM — PDT, UTC-7
Time (UTC)
2026-09-19 10:52 UTC
Depth
2.7 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates
37.467, -121.802
Felt reports
Felt by 1 person · community intensity II (weak)
Tsunami
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Significance
96 / 1000 · routine event
Solution quality
69 seismic stations used · 36° azimuthal gap (well-constrained epicentre)
Review status
Automatic solution — subject to revision
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 2,257,843 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 8,793,772 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
East Foothills9.6 km S8,269
Milpitas10.2 km WSW77,604
Alum Rock11.4 km SSW15,536
San Jose16.4 km SSW997,368
Santa Clara18.4 km SW126,215
Fremont18.8 km WNW232,206
Buena Vista19.1 km SSW1,704
Burbank19.6 km SW4,926
Communications Hill20.3 km SSW11,267
Seven Trees20.3 km S1,788

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

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

Be first to know about the next earthquake near 10 km ENE of Milpitas, CA

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 10 km ENE of Milpitas, CA earthquake?

Magnitude 2.5 (duration magnitude), at a depth of 2.7 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?

Sep 19, 2026, 03:52 AM (local time at the epicentre — PDT, UTC-7). In universal time: 2026-09-19 10:52 UTC.

Was it felt?

Felt by 1 person · 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 East Foothills, 9.6 km S (population 8,269).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 6.9 (The 1989 Loma Prieta, California Earthquake, 1989), and 5 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), in Venezuela FUNVISIS and in Brazil the RSBR through the Centro de Sismologia da USP. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.