U.S. state profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Oregon
Oregon has catalogued 267 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 6th of 39 U.S. states), with the strongest reaching magnitude M7.0.
Oregon ranks 6th of 39 U.S. states and territories by catalogued seismic activity - a moderately active state, averaging about 13 M4+ events a year alongside 20 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. Below: the full M6+ event history, magnitude and depth profile, and yearly trend.
- 267
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 20
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M7.0
- Strongest
- ~13
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Oregon is more seismically active than most places tracked here, with 267 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 20 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.0.
- 1991
- busiest year (3 major events)
- 10 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 Puerto Rico sits immediately above at 297 events and U.S. Virgin Islands sits immediately below at 222.
USGS ComCat event tape
Event tape OR · Oregon M4+ · 6th/39
Oregon · 267 M4+ · max M7.0 · 20 M6+
- BAND 267
- STRIP 6th/39
- BOOK M7.0
- RANK 20
- MAX near Puerto Rico
- M6 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 Oregon
USGS recorded Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) for 6 events in this catalogued record; their average observed intensity was MMI 3.7. These are only events with an observation, not an estimate of future shaking or a safety rating.
- MMI observations
- 6
- Average observed MMI
- 3.7
- PAGER alerts / tsunami flags
- 3 / 3
Source: USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) GeoJSON impact fields. Missing MMI, alert, and tsunami values remain unreported rather than being treated as zero.
Where Oregon sits in the catalog
Rank 6th of 39 tracked U.S. states and territories (85th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Puerto Rico sits immediately above at 297 events and U.S. Virgin Islands sits immediately below at 222.
- Puerto Rico - next more active (297 M4+)
- U.S. Virgin Islands - next less active (222 M4+)
Oregon's M4+ count vs. every tracked state
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
267 Top 15% higher than 85% 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 Oregon by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1955 1
1955: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1959 1
1959: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1985 1
1985: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1991
1991: 3 major (M6+) events
3
- 1993 1
1993: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1994 1
1994: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2000 1
2000: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2008 1
2008: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2012 1
2012: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2018 1
2018: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2019 1
2019: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2024 1
2024: 1 major (M6+) events
1
What this shows Oregon's most active year for major earthquakes was 1991 (3 M6+ events). Major-quake counts track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 20 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Oregon.
M7.0–7.9
1
5.0%
M6.0–6.9
19
95.0%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 20 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 10 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
20
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. Oregon's latest M4+ catalog entry is dated Aug 6, 2026. For the national PGA design-basis tiers, see the seismic risk maps guide or the USGS National Seismic Hazard Model.
Strongest earthquakes in Oregon
The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.0 | 136 km WSW of Brookings, Oregon | 1.3 km | Aug 17, 1991 |
| 6.9 | 103 km W of Pistol River, Oregon | 11.0 km | Jul 13, 1991 |
| 6.5 | 259 km W of Bandon, Oregon | 10.0 km | Mar 13, 1985 |
| 6.5 | 235 km W of Port Orford, Oregon | 15.0 km | Aug 5, 1910 |
| 6.4 | 213 km W of Port Orford, Oregon | 15.0 km | Aug 20, 1952 |
| 6.3 | 285 km W of Bandon, Oregon | 10.0 km | Aug 29, 2019 |
| 6.3 | 242 km WNW of Bandon, Oregon | 13.0 km | Jan 10, 2008 |
| 6.3 | 248 km W of Bandon, Oregon | 20.0 km | Oct 27, 1994 |
| 6.3 | 192 km WSW of Pistol River, Oregon | 10.0 km | Sep 28, 1945 |
| 6.2 | 149 km W of Port Orford, Oregon | 10.0 km | May 28, 1938 |
Significant earthquake record (20 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Oregon since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0 | 267 km W of Bandon, Oregon | 10.0 km | Oct 30, 2024 |
| 6.3 | 285 km W of Bandon, Oregon | 10.0 km | Aug 29, 2019 |
| 6.2 | 272 km W of Bandon, Oregon | 10.0 km | Aug 22, 2018 |
| 6.0 | 266 km W of Bandon, Oregon | 8.0 km | Apr 11, 2012 |
| 6.3 | 242 km WNW of Bandon, Oregon | 13.0 km | Jan 10, 2008 |
| 6.1 | 238 km WNW of Bandon, Oregon | 10.0 km | Jan 20, 2000 |
| 6.3 | 248 km W of Bandon, Oregon | 20.0 km | Oct 27, 1994 |
| 6.0 | 27 km WNW of Klamath Falls, Oregon | 8.5 km | Sep 21, 1993 |
| 7.0 | 136 km WSW of Brookings, Oregon | 1.3 km | Aug 17, 1991 |
| 6.1 | 136 km WSW of Brookings, Oregon | 2.5 km | Aug 16, 1991 |
| 6.9 | 103 km W of Pistol River, Oregon | 11.0 km | Jul 13, 1991 |
| 6.5 | 259 km W of Bandon, Oregon | 10.0 km | Mar 13, 1985 |
| 6.2 | 294 km W of Langlois, Oregon | 15.0 km | Sep 26, 1959 |
| 6.0 | 250 km W of Langlois, Oregon | 15.0 km | Aug 23, 1955 |
| 6.4 | 213 km W of Port Orford, Oregon | 15.0 km | Aug 20, 1952 |
| 6.3 | 192 km WSW of Pistol River, Oregon | 10.0 km | Sep 28, 1945 |
| 6.0 | 136 km WSW of Pistol River, Oregon | 0.0 km | Sep 28, 1945 |
| 6.2 | 149 km W of Port Orford, Oregon | 10.0 km | May 28, 1938 |
| 6.2 | 283 km W of Bandon, Oregon | 15.0 km | Jun 5, 1926 |
| 6.5 | 235 km W of Port Orford, Oregon | 15.0 km | Aug 5, 1910 |
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A Oregon-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 Oregon-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.