Earthquake.now

M4.4 Earthquake near Willits, United States — 13 January 2026, 21:10 UTC

A light earthquake of magnitude 4.4 was recorded near Willits, United States on , with an epicentre 9 km east-southeast of Willits, at a focal depth of 7.8 km. It ranked as the 23rd strongest of 6465 earthquakes recorded in the United States in the preceding 30 days.

4.4 Light

Time (UTC): 2026-01-13 21:10:54

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 4.4 (light)

Focal depth: 7.8 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 39.3910, -123.2480

Location: 9 km ESE of Willits, CA

Country: United States

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Available

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items.

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake radiates roughly 64 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 463, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

When it happened locally

That is about 12:57 local solar time at the epicentre, around midday.

This event was deeper than 60% of the 161,335 earthquakes recorded in the United States in our catalogue and stronger than 100% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 39.3910, -123.2480 — 9 km east-southeast of Willits. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 1.5 earthquake 20 km north-northwest of here on 07 October 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Alder Springs (51 km east-northeast), Anderson Springs (93 km south-southeast), Anderson (142 km northeast) and American Canyon (161 km south-southeast).

Why the 8 km depth matters

At 8 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS event record links to NOAA tsunami information because this was a large event in an oceanic region. That link flag does not mean a tsunami occurred or that a warning is active. Check tsunami.gov and instructions from your local authority for the current status of your coastline.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

310 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 3.8.

32 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.6 event near Redwood Valley on 24 June 2026. This M4.4 event released about 57 times less energy than that event.

14772 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 1053 of them in the past 30 days.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the January 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in the United States during January 2026. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in the United States

All recorded earthquakes in the United States →

Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 4 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Willits?

It measured magnitude 4.4 — a light earthquake. A magnitude 4.4 earthquake radiates roughly 64 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Willits?

The focus was 8 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the Willits earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 4.4 and a focal depth of 8 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near Willits happen?

13 January 2026 at 21:10 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

The USGS record carries a link to NOAA tsunami information for this event. That is not a warning: check your regional tsunami warning centre for any live alert.

Have there been aftershocks?

310 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 3.8.

How often do earthquakes happen near Willits?

32 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.6 event near Redwood Valley on 24 June 2026. This M4.4 event released about 57 times less energy than that event.