U.S. state profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Hawaii
Hawaii has catalogued 206 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 8th of 39 U.S. states), with the strongest reaching magnitude M7.7.
Hawaii ranks 8th of 39 U.S. states and territories by catalogued seismic activity - a moderately active state, averaging about 10 M4+ events a year alongside 21 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. Below: the full M6+ event history, magnitude and depth profile, and yearly trend.
- 206
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 21
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M7.7
- Strongest
- ~10
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Hawaii is more seismically active than most places tracked here, with 206 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 21 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.7.
- 2006
- busiest year (2 major events)
- 11 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 U.S. Virgin Islands sits immediately above at 222 events and Nevada sits immediately below at 170.
USGS state event tape
Event tape HI · Hawaii M4+ · 8th/39
Hawaii · 206 M4+ · max M7.7 · 21 M6+
- YOY 206
- BAND 8th/39
- STRIP M7.7
- BOOK 21
- RANK near U.S. Virgin Islands
- MAX 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 →
Observed impact record
What ComCat observed after earthquakes in Hawaii
USGS recorded Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) for 12 events in this catalogued record; their average observed intensity was MMI 8.0. These are only events with an observation, not an estimate of future shaking or a safety rating.
- MMI observations
- 12
- Average observed MMI
- 8.0
- PAGER alerts / tsunami flags
- 2 / 1
Source: USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) GeoJSON impact fields. Missing MMI, alert, and tsunami values remain unreported rather than being treated as zero.
Where Hawaii sits in the catalog
Rank 8th of 39 tracked U.S. states and territories (79th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder U.S. Virgin Islands sits immediately above at 222 events and Nevada sits immediately below at 170.
- U.S. Virgin Islands - next more active (222 M4+)
- Nevada - next less active (170 M4+)
Hawaii's M4+ count vs. every tracked state
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
206 Top 21% higher than 79% 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 Hawaii by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1938
1938: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1940
1940: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1951
1951: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1954
1954: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1962
1962: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1973
1973: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1975
1975: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1983
1983: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1989
1989: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2006
2006: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 2018
2018: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2021
2021: 1 major (M6+) events
1
What this shows Hawaii's most active year for major earthquakes was 2006 (2 M6+ events). Major-quake counts track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 21 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Hawaii.
M7.0–7.9
1
4.8%
M6.0–6.9
20
95.2%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 21 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 11 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
21
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. Hawaii's latest M4+ catalog entry is dated Aug 17, 2026. For the national PGA design-basis tiers, see the seismic risk maps guide or the USGS National Seismic Hazard Model.
Strongest earthquakes in Hawaii
The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.7 | 17 km SSW of Leilani Estates, Hawaii | 8.6 km | Nov 29, 1975 |
| 6.9 | 18 km SSW of Leilani Estates, Hawaii | 5.8 km | May 4, 2018 |
| 6.7 | 22 km W of Volcano, Hawaii | 8.7 km | Nov 16, 1983 |
| 6.7 | 14 km SW of Puako, Hawaii | 38.2 km | Oct 15, 2006 |
| 6.7 | Island of Hawai`i, Hawaii | 0.0 km | Sep 21, 1908 |
| 6.6 | 10 km ENE of Wailua, Hawaii | 10.0 km | Jan 23, 1938 |
| 6.4 | 71 km ENE of Honomu, Hawaii | 15.0 km | Jun 17, 1940 |
| 6.4 | 14 km SSE of Waimea, Hawaii | 10.0 km | Oct 6, 1929 |
| 6.4 | Kaoiki area, Hawaii | 0.0 km | Mar 28, 1915 |
| 6.3 | 20 km SSW of Honaunau-Napoopoo, Hawaii | 10.0 km | Aug 21, 1951 |
Significant earthquake record (21 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Hawaii since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.2 | 27 km SSE of Naalehu, Hawaii | 35.1 km | Oct 10, 2021 |
| 6.9 | 18 km SSW of Leilani Estates, Hawaii | 5.8 km | May 4, 2018 |
| 6.0 | 20 km SW of Hawi, Hawaii | 16.2 km | Oct 15, 2006 |
| 6.7 | 14 km SW of Puako, Hawaii | 38.2 km | Oct 15, 2006 |
| 6.2 | 13 km SSE of Fern Forest, Hawaii | 8.8 km | Jun 26, 1989 |
| 6.7 | 22 km W of Volcano, Hawaii | 8.7 km | Nov 16, 1983 |
| 7.7 | 17 km SSW of Leilani Estates, Hawaii | 8.6 km | Nov 29, 1975 |
| 6.2 | 3 km WSW of Honomu, Hawaii | 36.9 km | Apr 26, 1973 |
| 6.2 | 21 km N of Pahala, Hawaii | 8.9 km | Jun 28, 1962 |
| 6.1 | 12 km S of Volcano, Hawaii | 15.0 km | Mar 30, 1954 |
| 6.3 | 20 km SSW of Honaunau-Napoopoo, Hawaii | 10.0 km | Aug 21, 1951 |
| 6.4 | 71 km ENE of Honomu, Hawaii | 15.0 km | Jun 17, 1940 |
| 6.6 | 10 km ENE of Wailua, Hawaii | 10.0 km | Jan 23, 1938 |
| 6.4 | 14 km SSE of Waimea, Hawaii | 10.0 km | Oct 6, 1929 |
| 6.0 | 51 km NNE of Honoka‘a, Hawaii | 0.0 km | Mar 20, 1927 |
| 6.0 | 41 km NE of Hala‘ula, Hawaii | 0.0 km | Mar 20, 1926 |
| 6.1 | 11 km SE of Naalehu, Hawaii | 0.0 km | Sep 15, 1919 |
| 6.2 | 8 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii | 0.0 km | Nov 2, 1918 |
| 6.4 | Kaoiki area, Hawaii | 0.0 km | Mar 28, 1915 |
| 6.7 | Island of Hawai`i, Hawaii | 0.0 km | Sep 21, 1908 |
| 6.2 | Kilauea South Flank, Hawaii | 0.0 km | May 4, 1905 |
Other states in this catalog sample
A Hawaii-keyed shuffle of the full 38-state roster (not the six nearest by count), so adjacent quiet states do not share the same comparison set.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second Hawaii-keyed shuffle of states with a recorded max magnitude (independent order from the frequency sample above).
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.