An earthquake of magnitude 3.0 occurred after midnight on Friday, July 17th, 2026, at 12:52 am local time near Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, California, USA, as reported by the United States Geological Survey.According to preliminary data, the quake was located at a shallow depth of 7.2 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 3.0 as well.Towns or cities near the epicenter where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Interlaken (pop. 7,300) located 3 miles from the epicenter, Watsonville (pop. 53,600) 4 miles away, Gilroy (pop. 53,200) 8 miles away, Prunedale (pop. 17,600) 11 miles away, and Morgan Hill (pop. 42,900) 14 miles away. In Hollister (pop. 37,500, 17 miles away), Salinas (pop. 157,400, 18 miles away), Santa Cruz (pop. 64,200, 19 miles away), and San Jose (pop. 997,400, 30 miles away), the quake was probably not felt.Earthquake data: Date & time: Jul 17, 2026 12:52 am (GMT -7) local time (17 Jul 2026 07:52 GMT)Magnitude: 3.0Depth: 11.61 kmEpicenter latitude / longitude: 36.93°N / 121.69°W (Santa Cruz County, California, United States)Primary data source: USGS