Earthquakes in District of Columbia

District of Columbia sits deep within the stable interior of the North American plate, far from any boundary, so damaging earthquakes are rare. But old faults in the hard eastern bedrock still slip occasionally, and because that cold crust carries energy so efficiently, even a small quake can be felt across a wide area — often as a sudden boom.

This page tracks live USGS seismic activity across District of Columbia — 1 cities including Washington. The map and list above update continuously; open any city for a closer view with its own recent-quake and felt-radius detail.