U.S. state profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Arizona
Arizona has catalogued 7 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 22nd of 39 U.S. states), with the strongest reaching magnitude M6.2.
Arizona ranks 22nd of 39 U.S. states and territories by catalogued seismic activity - a state with limited seismic activity, averaging about 0 M4+ events a year alongside 3 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. Below: the full M6+ event history, magnitude and depth profile, and yearly trend.
- 7
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 3
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M6.2
- Strongest
- ~0
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Arizona is below the global median in catalogued seismic activity, with 7 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 3 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 6.2.
- 1906
- busiest year (1 major events)
- 0 km
- average recorded event depth
- 100%
- of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)
Average catalogued magnitude is 4.5 - most events are moderate tremors felt but rarely damaging. On the M4+ activity ladder Colorado sits immediately above at 12 events and Arkansas sits immediately below at 5.
USGS ComCat event tape
Event tape AZ · Arizona M4+ · 22nd/39
Arizona · 7 M4+ · max M6.2 · 3 M6+
- COMCAT 7
- TAPE 22nd/39
- EPIC M6.2
- YOY 3
- BAND near Colorado
- STRIP 100% shallow
Stamps derive from this jurisdiction's USGS ComCat row (M4+ book, rank, peak magnitude, M6+ record, ladder neighbour, depth/peak year), not a hazard forecast. PlainQuake is informational only - not professional advice and not a substitute for official USGS guidance. See our disclaimer. Verify with USGS ComCat → · Read with methodology → · How earthquakes are measured → · Most active U.S. regions → · All state catalog rows → · States ranked →
Where Arizona sits in the catalog
Rank 22nd of 39 tracked U.S. states and territories (44th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Colorado sits immediately above at 12 events and Arkansas sits immediately below at 5.
Arizona's M4+ count vs. every tracked state
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
7 Top 56% higher than 44% of 39 states
Each bar is a 100-wide band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) · 2005-present
Major (M6+) earthquakes in Arizona by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1906
1906: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1910
1910: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1912
1912: 1 major (M6+) events
1
What this shows Arizona's most active year for major earthquakes was 1906 (1 M6+ events). Major-quake counts track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 3 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Arizona.
M6.0–6.9
3
100.0%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 3 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 0 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
3
100% of events
Intermediate (70–300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Deep (>300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Seismic hazard context
Catalogued counts on this page are history, not a building-code hazard map. Arizona's latest M4+ catalog entry is dated Sep 19, 2022. For the national PGA design-basis tiers, see the seismic risk maps guide or the USGS National Seismic Hazard Model.
Strongest earthquakes in Arizona
The 3 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.2 | Near Flagstaff, Arizona | 0.0 km | Aug 18, 1912 |
| 6.2 | Near Flagstaff, Arizona | 0.0 km | Jan 25, 1906 |
| 6.0 | Southwest of Cameron, Arizona | 0.0 km | Sep 24, 1910 |
Significant earthquake record (3 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Arizona since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.2 | Near Flagstaff, Arizona | 0.0 km | Aug 18, 1912 |
| 6.0 | Southwest of Cameron, Arizona | 0.0 km | Sep 24, 1910 |
| 6.2 | Near Flagstaff, Arizona | 0.0 km | Jan 25, 1906 |
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A Arizona-keyed shuffle of states with a recorded max magnitude. Layout order flips by state so sibling pages do not open the same block first.
Other states in this catalog sample
A second Arizona-keyed shuffle of the full 38-state roster (not ABS-gap nearest neighbors).
According to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, PlainQuake's figures are rendered directly from 317,293 recorded M4+ earthquakes and 14,444 significant M6+ events (USGS ComCat, 2005-present) -- no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-26.