Earthquakes in Chicago and Illinois over the years
New York is going bonkers over a 4.8 magnitude earthquake that shook the region on Friday.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the 4.8 quake was centered near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, 40 miles west of New York City. It hit at approximately 10:23 a.m. New York City officials said there have so far been no reports of significant impacts across the city. (The Empire State Building posted on X that it was fine.)
The U.S. Geological Survey lists 1,032 earthquakes in Illinois dating back to 1902. The most recent quake happened last week, March 28, 2024 -- a 2.8 magnitude shaker in Germantown.
The vast majority of earthquake epicenters in Illinois occur near two major faults in southern Illinois--the New Madrid and Wabash Valley seismic zones.
Only about a dozen epicenters have hit the state north of Peoria, and Chicagoland has felt its share of earthquakes over the years. (Chicagoans even feel the ones down south, but for this exercise, the focus is on the epicenters.)
The biggest and earliest recorded one? Nobody alive would remember it.
It happened in Lombard in 1909 at 5.1 magnitude. That happens to be the fourth biggest on record for the state.
The strongest one (5.3 magnitude) hit on Nov. 9, 1968, in Norris City, in far Southern Illinois and 60 miles east of Carbondale.
There is no recorded earthquake epicenter within the City of Chicago.
Here is a list of Chicago area quakes:
- Lockport, May 26, 1909, 5.1 magnitude
- Lombard, Sept. 9, 1985, 3.9 magnitude
- Lily Lake, Feb. 10, 2010, 3.8 magnitude
- Lakemoor, Jan. 31, 2.3 magnitude
- Lyons, Nov. 4, 2013, 3.2 magnitude
- Virgil, June 10, 2013, 2.6 magnitude
- Lake in the Hills, March 25, 2015, 2.9 magnitude
According to the Michigan Technological University, a quake with less than 2.5 magnitude is usually not felt but is recorded by a seismograph. Magnitudes of 2.5 to 5.5 are usually felt but only cause minor damage.