Over the past 30 days, Costa Rica has recorded 7 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater in our tracker. 5 landed between M4.0 and M4.9. The remaining 2 fell in the M2.5–M3.9 band. By depth: 7 shallow (<70 km). 4 of the epicenters were offshore. 6 events produced at least one felt report, totalling 121 citizen submissions to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Focal depths ranged from 10.0 km to 62.8 km. All 7 solutions have been reviewed by a USGS seismologist.
Leading the list is a magnitude 4.9 event near 16 km ENE of Jacó, Costa Rica at 10.0 km depth, which drew 26 felt reports from the public. The second-ranked event, at magnitude 4.8 near 0 km SE of San Ignacio, Costa Rica, trails by 0.1 magnitude units — a narrow gap, indicating two comparably energetic events in the current window. Rounding out the top three is a magnitude 4.5 earthquake near 5 km NW of Paso Canoas Arriba, Panama.
Each row in the table below includes a narrative summary of the event, ordered by time. Use the column headers to sort or filter by magnitude.
| Time ↓ | Mag ↕ | Location ↕ | Depth ↕ | Felt ↕ | MMI | Alert | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 days ago 2026-05-16 10:47:56 UTC | 3.2ml | 4 km SE of Jacó, Costa Rica 9.582°, -84.606° | 10.0 km | 3 | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
The USGS recorded this magnitude 3.2 earthquake 4 km SE of Jacó, Costa Rica at 10:47 UTC on May 16, 2026. Coming 66 hours after a magnitude 4.9 earthquake in the immediate vicinity, it is most likely an aftershock of that larger rupture. At just 10.0 km, it was the shallowest earthquake in the current dataset — a shallow crustal event. A small number of nearby observers (3) submitted felt reports to the USGS. The event was offshore — common for earthquakes along subduction zones and transform plate boundaries. Coordinates: 9.582°, -84.606°. The solution has been reviewed by a USGS seismologist and is considered finalized. See the M3.2 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
6 days ago 2026-05-14 04:44:51 UTC | 3.2ml | 10 km SSW of Jacó, Costa Rica 9.525°, -84.654° | 10.0 km | 3 | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
This magnitude 3.2 event was detected 10 km SSW of Jacó, Costa Rica on May 14, 2026, with origin time 04:44 UTC. It arrived roughly 1 hours after a larger magnitude 4.4 mainshock in the same 20 km area, placing it within the typical aftershock window. At just 10.0 km, it was the shallowest earthquake in the current dataset — a shallow crustal event. A small number of nearby observers (3) submitted felt reports to the USGS. The epicenter is at 9.525°, -84.654°. The solution has been reviewed by a USGS seismologist and is considered finalized. See the M3.2 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
6 days ago 2026-05-14 03:36:57 UTC | 4.4mb | 5 km ESE of Jacó, Costa Rica 9.588°, -84.587° | 10.0 km | 3 | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
On May 14, 2026, Costa Rica registered a magnitude 4.4 earthquake 5 km ESE of Jacó, Costa Rica at 03:36 UTC. It arrived roughly 11 hours after a larger magnitude 4.9 mainshock in the same 20 km area, placing it within the typical aftershock window. At just 10.0 km, it was the shallowest earthquake in the current dataset — a shallow crustal event. It ranks as the fourth largest event in the current dataset. A small number of nearby observers (3) submitted felt reports to the USGS. The epicenter is at 9.588°, -84.587°. The solution has been reviewed by a USGS seismologist and is considered finalized. See the M4.4 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-05-13 2026-05-13 16:22:30 UTC | 4.9mb | 16 km ENE of Jacó, Costa Rica 9.695°, -84.500° | 10.0 km | 26 | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
On May 13, 2026 at 16:22 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck 16 km ENE of Jacó, Costa Rica. It is the largest earthquake currently listed for Costa Rica over the past 30 days. At just 10.0 km, it was the shallowest earthquake in the current dataset — a shallow crustal event. 26 people reported feeling the earthquake via the USGS Did You Feel It? system. The epicenter is at 9.695°, -84.500°. The solution has been reviewed by a USGS seismologist and is considered finalized. See the M4.9 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-05-09 2026-05-09 20:26:12 UTC | 4.5mb | 5 km NW of Paso Canoas Arriba, Panama 8.596°, -82.866° | 29.9 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
Seismographs logged a magnitude 4.5 earthquake 5 km NW of Paso Canoas Arriba, Panama with origin time 20:26 UTC on May 9, 2026. It ranks as the third largest event in the current dataset. The event originated approximately 29.9 km below the surface, classifying it as shallow crustal. The event was offshore — common for earthquakes along subduction zones and transform plate boundaries. Coordinates: 8.596°, -82.866°. The solution has been reviewed by a USGS seismologist and is considered finalized. See the M4.5 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-05-05 2026-05-05 20:54:43 UTC | 4.1mb | 25 km S of Parrita, Costa Rica 9.296°, -84.348° | 10.0 km | 3 | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
At 20:54 UTC on May 5, 2026, a magnitude 4.1 tremor occurred 25 km S of Parrita, Costa Rica. At just 10.0 km, it was the shallowest earthquake in the current dataset — a shallow crustal event. It ranks as the fifth largest event in the current dataset. A small number of nearby observers (3) submitted felt reports to the USGS. The event was offshore — common for earthquakes along subduction zones and transform plate boundaries. Geolocation places the event at 9.296°N, -84.348°E. See the M4.1 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-04-28 2026-04-28 03:49:47 UTC | 4.8mb | 0 km SE of San Ignacio, Costa Rica 9.794°, -84.155° | 62.8 km | 83 | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
A magnitude 4.8 earthquake was recorded 0 km SE of San Ignacio, Costa Rica on April 28, 2026 at 03:49 UTC. Of every earthquake currently listed for Costa Rica, this one generated the most felt reports from the public. At 62.8 km, this is the deepest earthquake in the current dataset — firmly in the shallow crustal category. Nearby residents submitted 83 felt reports to the USGS DYFI platform. It ranks as the second largest event in the current dataset. The event was offshore — common for earthquakes along subduction zones and transform plate boundaries. Geolocation places the event at 9.794°N, -84.155°E. The solution has been reviewed by a USGS seismologist and is considered finalized. See the M4.8 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
16 km ENE of Jacó, Costa Rica
2026-05-13
72 km SW of Tamarindo, Costa Rica
2026-04-15
Data from USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. Updated every 5 minutes.
Costa Rica sits where the Cocos Plate subducts beneath the Caribbean Plate, causing frequent earthquakes along the Pacific coast.
In 2026, Costa Rica has recorded 24 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater so far. The largest earthquake in Costa Rica in 2026 was a magnitude 5.7 event near Tamarindo, Costa Rica. As of today, seismic monitoring continues with 0 earthquakes detected in the past 24 hours and 7 in the last 30 days.
Costa Rica sits where the Cocos Plate subducts beneath the Caribbean Plate, causing frequent earthquakes along the Pacific coast.
Over the past 30 days, there have been 7 recorded earthquakes in this region. The largest recent earthquake was a magnitude 4.9 event near 16 km ENE of Jacó, Costa Rica.
In the past 30 days, 7 earthquakes have been recorded in the Costa Rica region. The number varies based on seismic activity in the area.
The largest recent earthquake in the Costa Rica area was a magnitude 4.9 event that occurred 16 km ENE of Jacó, Costa Rica.
Residents should secure heavy furniture, create an emergency kit with supplies for 72 hours, develop a family communication plan, and practice "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" during earthquake drills. Visit our preparedness section for detailed guides.
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