U.S. state profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico has catalogued 296 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 5th of 39 U.S. states), with the strongest reaching magnitude M7.7.
Puerto Rico ranks 5th of 39 U.S. states and territories by catalogued seismic activity - a moderately active state, averaging about 14 M4+ events a year alongside 12 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. Below: the full M6+ event history, magnitude and depth profile, and yearly trend.
- 296
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 12
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M7.7
- Strongest
- ~14
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Puerto Rico is more seismically active than most places tracked here, with 296 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 12 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.7.
- 1918
- busiest year (4 major events)
- 16 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 California sits immediately above at 883 events and Oregon sits immediately below at 263.
Where Puerto Rico sits in the catalog
Rank 5th of 39 tracked U.S. states and territories (87th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder California sits immediately above at 883 events and Oregon sits immediately below at 263.
- California - next more active (883 M4+)
- Oregon - next less active (263 M4+)
Puerto Rico's M4+ count vs. every tracked state
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
296 Top 13% higher than 87% 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
How Puerto Rico compares to its nearest peers
Puerto Rico ranks in the 87th percentile for M4+ frequency among all 39 tracked U.S. states and territories. Plotted here against its 14 nearest-ranked peers by how OFTEN they shake (M4+ count) against how HARD the strongest one ever hit (max recorded magnitude).
Read the chart (all 15 values)
| State | M4+ events | Strongest magnitude |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 8,960 | M8.2 |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 3,328 | M7.7 |
| Guam | 2,456 | M6.8 |
| California | 883 | M7.2 |
| Puerto Rico (this page) | 296 | M6.4 |
| Oregon | 263 | M6.3 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 221 | M6.1 |
| Hawaii | 204 | M6.9 |
| Nevada | 170 | M6.5 |
| Oklahoma | 97 | M5.8 |
| Idaho | 73 | M6.5 |
| Georgia | 67 | M6.0 |
| Texas | 52 | M5.4 |
| New Mexico | 37 | M5.4 |
| Montana | 28 | M5.8 |
Major (M6+) earthquakes in Puerto Rico by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1915 1
1915: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1918
1918: 4 major (M6+) events
4
- 1920 1
1920: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1939 1
1939: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1943 1
1943: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1988 1
1988: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2014 1
2014: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2019 1
2019: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2020 1
2020: 1 major (M6+) events
1
What this shows Puerto Rico's most active year for major earthquakes was 1918 (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 12 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Puerto Rico.
M7.0–7.9
2
16.7%
M6.0–6.9
10
83.3%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 12 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 16 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
12
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. Puerto Rico's latest M4+ catalog entry is dated Jun 11, 2026. For the national PGA design-basis tiers, see the seismic risk maps guide or the USGS National Seismic Hazard Model.
Strongest earthquakes in Puerto Rico
The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.7 | 45 km N of San Antonio, Puerto Rico | 15.0 km | Jul 29, 1943 |
| 7.1 | 24 km NNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico | 15.0 km | Oct 11, 1918 |
| 6.4 | 4 km SSE of Indios, Puerto Rico | 6.0 km | Jan 7, 2020 |
| 6.4 | 61 km N of Hatillo, Puerto Rico | 20.0 km | Jan 13, 2014 |
| 6.4 | 32 km NW of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico | 15.0 km | Feb 10, 1920 |
| 6.4 | 120 km N of Isabela, Puerto Rico | 15.0 km | Oct 11, 1915 |
| 6.3 | 6 km WNW of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico | 15.0 km | Oct 25, 1918 |
| 6.1 | 18 km NNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico | 15.0 km | Nov 12, 1918 |
| 6.1 | 15 km WNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico | 15.0 km | Oct 11, 1918 |
| 6.0 | 220 km N of San Juan, Puerto Rico | 15.0 km | Jun 12, 1939 |
Significant earthquake record (12 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Puerto Rico since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.4 | 4 km SSE of Indios, Puerto Rico | 6.0 km | Jan 7, 2020 |
| 6.0 | 67 km NNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico | 10.0 km | Sep 24, 2019 |
| 6.4 | 61 km N of Hatillo, Puerto Rico | 20.0 km | Jan 13, 2014 |
| 6.0 | 67 km NNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico | 33.3 km | Nov 3, 1988 |
| 7.7 | 45 km N of San Antonio, Puerto Rico | 15.0 km | Jul 29, 1943 |
| 6.0 | 220 km N of San Juan, Puerto Rico | 15.0 km | Jun 12, 1939 |
| 6.4 | 32 km NW of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico | 15.0 km | Feb 10, 1920 |
| 6.1 | 18 km NNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico | 15.0 km | Nov 12, 1918 |
| 6.3 | 6 km WNW of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico | 15.0 km | Oct 25, 1918 |
| 6.1 | 15 km WNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico | 15.0 km | Oct 11, 1918 |
| 7.1 | 24 km NNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico | 15.0 km | Oct 11, 1918 |
| 6.4 | 120 km N of Isabela, Puerto Rico | 15.0 km | Oct 11, 1915 |
Other states in this catalog sample
A Puerto Rico-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.
Northern Mariana Islands
3,328 M4+ events · strongest M7.7
U.S. Virgin Islands
221 M4+ events · strongest M6.1
Illinois
3 M4+ events · strongest M5.2
Arkansas
5 M4+ events · strongest M4.7
South Carolina
1 M4+ events · strongest M4.1
Nebraska
2 M4+ events · strongest M4.1
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second Puerto Rico-keyed shuffle of states with a recorded max magnitude (independent order from the frequency sample above).
Frequently asked questions
How many earthquakes hit Puerto Rico? ▼
What was the largest earthquake in Puerto Rico? ▼
How does Puerto Rico rank for earthquakes? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
Understand the data
About Puerto Rico's figures
296 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M7.7 · average M4.4 · 12 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Jun 11, 2026. Computed from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat); state assignment uses USGS place-name geocoding. See the methodology and USGS ComCat.
Disclaimer: PlainQuake is informational only, not an emergency service or engineering advice. See our full disclaimer.
What Puerto Rico's numbers mean
Puerto Rico ranks 5th of 39 U.S. states and territories - a moderately active state.
- See Puerto Rico's computed risk level alongside every other state, using the same USGS-derived methodology. Open the risk calculator
- 100% of Puerto Rico's catalogued major earthquakes are shallow (under 70km) - shallow events generally produce stronger surface shaking than deep ones of the same magnitude. How depth affects shaking
- Compare Puerto Rico against every other U.S. state by count and maximum magnitude. See the full state ranking
Figures reflect the USGS ComCat catalog (M4+ since 2005, M6+ significant events since 1900) - not a real-time hazard assessment. For official guidance, see the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.
According to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, PlainQuake's figures are rendered directly from 315,341 recorded M4+ earthquakes and 14,428 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 2026-07-19.