Moderate magnitude 4.0 quake hits 58 miles west of Ferndale, California, United States late at night

An earthquake of magnitude 4.0 occurred late at night on Wednesday, January 21st, 2026, at 11:28 pm local time near Ferndale, Humboldt County, California, USA, as reported by the United States Geological Survey.
According to preliminary data, the quake was located at a very shallow depth of 5.2 miles. 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 European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) which listed the quake at magnitude 4.1.
Towns or cities near the epicenter where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Ferndale (pop. 1,400) located 58 miles from the epicenter.

Earthquake data:
Date & time: Jan 21, 2026 11:28 pm (GMT -8) local time (22 Jan 2026 07:28 GMT)
Magnitude: 4.0
Depth: 8.41 km
Epicenter latitude / longitude: 40.64°N / 125.37°W (California, United States)
Primary data source: USGS
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquake/news/292607/Moderate-magnitude-40-quake-hits-58-miles-west-of-Ferndale-California-United-States-late-at-night-.html