Earthquake.now

M6.0 Earthquake near San Diego Country Estates, United States — 14 April 2025, 17:08 UTC

A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.0 was recorded near San Diego Country Estates, United States on , with an epicentre 3 km northeast of San Diego Country Estates, at a focal depth of 9.0 km. It ranked as the 3rd strongest of 7152 earthquakes recorded in the United States in the preceding 30 days.

6.0 Strong

Time (UTC): 2025-04-14 17:08:27

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 6.0 (strong)

Focal depth: 9.0 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 33.0337, -116.7580

Location: 3 km NE of San Diego Country Estates, California

Country: United States

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Automatic

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Strong earthquakes can cause significant damage in populated areas within roughly 100 km of the epicentre, particularly to older masonry buildings. Landslides and liquefaction become a real risk in susceptible ground.

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake radiates roughly 15,080 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 554, 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 09:21 local solar time at the epicentre, during the morning.

This event was deeper than 66% of the 156,310 earthquakes recorded in the United States in our catalogue and stronger than 100% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 33.0337, -116.7580 — 3 km northeast of San Diego Country Estates. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 0.9 earthquake 6 km north-northeast of here on 14 September 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Aguanga (44 km north-northwest), Adelanto (180 km north-northwest), Acton (200 km northwest) and Agua Dulce (211 km northwest).

Why the 9 km depth matters

At 9 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 can produce strong, widely felt shaking. 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 record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M6.0 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.

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

Aftershocks and local seismic history

520 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 5.2.

22 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.2 event near Julian on 14 April 2025. This M6.0 event released about 15 times more energy than that event.

2635 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 654 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 April 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in the United States during April 2025. 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 6 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 6 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near San Diego Country Estates?

It measured magnitude 6.0 — a strong earthquake. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake radiates roughly 15,080 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near San Diego Country Estates?

The focus was 9 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the San Diego Country Estates earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 6.0 and a focal depth of 9 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near San Diego Country Estates happen?

14 April 2025 at 17:08 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.

Have there been aftershocks?

520 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 5.2.

How often do earthquakes happen near San Diego Country Estates?

22 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.2 event near Julian on 14 April 2025. This M6.0 event released about 15 times more energy than that event.