Small magnitude 3.9 quake hits 52 miles southwest of Eureka, California, United States early morning

A very shallow magnitude 3.9 earthquake was reported early morning near Eureka, Humboldt County, California, USA.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake hit on Monday, April 20th, 2026, at 2:41 am local time at a very shallow depth of 1 mile. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.
Our monitoring service identified a second report from The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) which listed the quake at magnitude 3.9 as well. A third agency, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), reported the same quake at magnitude 3.9.
Towns or cities near the epicenter where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Ferndale (pop. 1,400) located 39 miles from the epicenter, Fortuna (pop. 12,000) 45 miles away, Rio Dell (pop. 3,400) 46 miles away, Humboldt Hill (pop. 3,400) 48 miles away, Eureka (pop. 27,000) 52 miles away, and Myrtletown (pop. 4,700) 53 miles away. In Bayside (pop. 17,100, 58 miles away), and Arcata (pop. 17,800, 58 miles away), the quake was probably not felt.

Earthquake data:
Date & time: Apr 20, 2026 02:41 am (GMT -8) local time (20 Apr 2026 10:41 GMT)
Magnitude: 3.9
Depth: 1.66 km
Epicenter latitude / longitude: 40.35°N / 124.95°W (California, United States)
Primary data source: USGS
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquake/news/300326/Small-magnitude-39-quake-hits-52-miles-southwest-of-Eureka-California-United-States-early-morning-.html