Virginia · Earthquakes
Virginia earthquakes today and on record
Earthquakes are rare in Virginia, but not unknown. The USGS catalog lists 19 of magnitude 3.5 or more since 1900, the largest a magnitude 5.8 in 2011. Below: every quake in the state this week, a map, and the biggest since 1900.
Updated . Data: U.S. Geological Survey.
- Last 24 hours
- 0
- Past 7 days
- 0
- Most recent
- None this week
- Largest on record
- M5.8 (2011)
- M3.5+ since 1900
- 19
- M5+ since 1900
- 1
Earthquakes in Virginia this week
No earthquakes recorded in this period.
That is normal here. Many years pass without a quake big enough to feel.
Biggest earthquakes in Virginia since 1900
| Mag | Where | Date | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.8 | 11 km SSW of Mineral, Virginia | Aug 23, 2011 | 6 km |
| 4.6 | 6 km NE of Luray, Virginia | Apr 10, 1918 | 0 km |
| 4.5 | 5 km ENE of Columbia, Virginia | Dec 9, 2003 | 10 km |
| 4.5 | 8 km SW of Mineral, Virginia | Aug 25, 2011 | 7 km |
| 4.3 | 11 km SSE of Vansant, Virginia | Apr 10, 1989 | 0 km |
| 4.3 | 13 km NNW of Raven, Virginia | Nov 2, 2006 | 1 km |
| 4.3 | 13 km NW of Raven, Virginia | Nov 23, 2006 | 0 km |
| 4.2 | 5 km WNW of Palmyra, Virginia | Aug 17, 1984 | 9 km |
| 4.2 | 11 km SSW of Mineral, Virginia | Aug 24, 2011 | 0 km |
| 4.1 | 9 km E of Vansant, Virginia | Apr 14, 1988 | 0 km |
| 4.0 | Near Arvonia, Virginia | Feb 11, 1907 | 0 km |
| 3.9 | 9 km NNE of Pearisburg, Virginia | Apr 23, 1959 | 1 km |
Quakes of magnitude 3.5+ by decade
Older decades look quieter partly because there were far fewer seismometers. Counts before about 1970 are incomplete.
Good to know
When was the last earthquake in Virginia?
None of magnitude 2.5 or more in the past week. The most recent of magnitude 3.5 or more in the long-term catalog was in 2011.
What was the biggest earthquake in Virginia?
A magnitude 5.8 near Mineral, Virginia on August 23, 2011, the largest in the USGS catalog for the state since 1900.
Does Virginia get earthquakes?
Earthquakes are rare in Virginia, but not unknown. The USGS catalog lists 19 of magnitude 3.5 or more since 1900, the largest a magnitude 5.8 in 2011. The USGS national hazard map is the best guide to the chance of strong shaking where you live.
Also in Virginia
Virginia tornado history · Earthquakes today, nationwide · Did I just feel an earthquake?
Other states
History: USGS earthquake catalog, magnitude 3.5 and up since 1900, matched to the state by location (quakes just offshore count for the nearest state). Live: USGS real-time feeds.