U.S. state profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico has catalogued 297 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.
- 297
- 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 297 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 885 events and Oregon sits immediately below at 267.
USGS ComCat event tape
Event tape PR · Puerto Rico M4+ · 5th/39
Puerto Rico · 297 M4+ · max M7.7 · 12 M6+
- M6 297
- DEPTH 5th/39
- PHOTO M7.7
- BUSY 12
- SHAL near California
- PCT 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 Puerto Rico
USGS recorded Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) for 7 events in this catalogued record; their average observed intensity was MMI 6.0. These are only events with an observation, not an estimate of future shaking or a safety rating.
- MMI observations
- 7
- Average observed MMI
- 6.0
- 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 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 885 events and Oregon sits immediately below at 267.
- California - next more active (885 M4+)
- Oregon - next less active (267 M4+)
Puerto Rico's M4+ count vs. every tracked state
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
297 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
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 Jul 24, 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
3,345 M4+ events · strongest M7.7
U.S. Virgin Islands
222 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).
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.