U.S. state profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Nevada
Nevada has catalogued 170 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 9th of 39 U.S. states), with the strongest reaching magnitude M7.1.
Nevada ranks 9th of 39 U.S. states and territories by catalogued seismic activity - a moderately active state, averaging about 8 M4+ events a year alongside 13 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. Below: the full M6+ event history, magnitude and depth profile, and yearly trend.
- 170
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 13
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M7.1
- Strongest
- ~8
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Nevada is more seismically active than most places tracked here, with 170 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 13 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.1.
- 1954
- busiest year (4 major events)
- 8 km
- average recorded event depth
- 100%
- of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)
Average catalogued magnitude is 4.4 - most events are moderate tremors felt but rarely damaging. On the M4+ activity ladder Hawaii sits immediately above at 206 events and Oklahoma sits immediately below at 97.
USGS state event tape
Event tape NV · Nevada M4+ · 9th/39
Nevada · 170 M4+ · max M7.1 · 13 M6+
- VS-PEER 170
- COMCAT 9th/39
- TAPE M7.1
- EPIC 13
- YOY near Hawaii
- BAND 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 Nevada
USGS recorded Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) for 8 events in this catalogued record; their average observed intensity was MMI 7.5. These are only events with an observation, not an estimate of future shaking or a safety rating.
- MMI observations
- 8
- Average observed MMI
- 7.5
- PAGER alerts / tsunami flags
- 1 / 0
Source: USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) GeoJSON impact fields. Missing MMI, alert, and tsunami values remain unreported rather than being treated as zero.
Where Nevada sits in the catalog
Rank 9th of 39 tracked U.S. states and territories (77th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Hawaii sits immediately above at 206 events and Oklahoma sits immediately below at 97.
Nevada's M4+ count vs. every tracked state
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
170 Top 23% higher than 77% 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 Nevada by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1910 1
1910: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1914
1914: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 1915 1
1915: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1932 1
1932: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1933 1
1933: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1934 1
1934: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1954
1954: 4 major (M6+) events
4
- 1994 1
1994: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2020 1
2020: 1 major (M6+) events
1
What this shows Nevada's most active year for major earthquakes was 1954 (4 M6+ events). Major-quake counts track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 13 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Nevada.
M7.0–7.9
1
7.7%
M6.0–6.9
12
92.3%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 13 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 8 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
13
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. Nevada's latest M4+ catalog entry is dated Jun 12, 2026. For the national PGA design-basis tiers, see the seismic risk maps guide or the USGS National Seismic Hazard Model.
Strongest earthquakes in Nevada
The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | The 1954 Fairview Peak, Nevada Earthquake | 12.0 km | Dec 16, 1954 |
| 6.9 | The 1954 Dixie Valley, Nevada Earthquake | 12.0 km | Dec 16, 1954 |
| 6.8 | The 1932 Cedar Mountain, Nevada Earthquake | 10.0 km | Dec 21, 1932 |
| 6.8 | The 1915 Pleasant Valley, Nevada Earthquake | 10.0 km | Oct 3, 1915 |
| 6.5 | Monte Cristo Range, NV Earthquake | 2.7 km | May 15, 2020 |
| 6.5 | 17 km ESE of Fallon Station, Nevada | 15.0 km | Aug 24, 1954 |
| 6.4 | Near Fernley, Nevada | 0.0 km | Apr 24, 1914 |
| 6.3 | The 1934 Excelsior Mountains, Nevada Earthquake | 0.0 km | Jan 30, 1934 |
| 6.2 | The 1954 Rainbow Mountain, Nevada Earthquake | 10.0 km | Jul 6, 1954 |
| 6.1 | 4 km S of Carter Springs, Nevada | 14.0 km | Sep 12, 1994 |
Significant earthquake record (13 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Nevada since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.5 | Monte Cristo Range, NV Earthquake | 2.7 km | May 15, 2020 |
| 6.1 | 4 km S of Carter Springs, Nevada | 14.0 km | Sep 12, 1994 |
| 6.9 | The 1954 Dixie Valley, Nevada Earthquake | 12.0 km | Dec 16, 1954 |
| 7.1 | The 1954 Fairview Peak, Nevada Earthquake | 12.0 km | Dec 16, 1954 |
| 6.5 | 17 km ESE of Fallon Station, Nevada | 15.0 km | Aug 24, 1954 |
| 6.2 | The 1954 Rainbow Mountain, Nevada Earthquake | 10.0 km | Jul 6, 1954 |
| 6.3 | The 1934 Excelsior Mountains, Nevada Earthquake | 0.0 km | Jan 30, 1934 |
| 6.1 | 22 km SSE of Stagecoach, Nevada | 15.0 km | Jun 25, 1933 |
| 6.8 | The 1932 Cedar Mountain, Nevada Earthquake | 10.0 km | Dec 21, 1932 |
| 6.8 | The 1915 Pleasant Valley, Nevada Earthquake | 10.0 km | Oct 3, 1915 |
| 6.4 | Near Fernley, Nevada | 0.0 km | Apr 24, 1914 |
| 6.0 | Near Reno, Nevada | 0.0 km | Feb 18, 1914 |
| 6.1 | Near Tonopah Junction, Nevada | 0.0 km | Nov 21, 1910 |
Other states in this catalog sample
A Nevada-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 Nevada-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.