The map shows quakes of M1.5 and up from the last 90 days, the 5 biggest on record, and always the very latest quake — even if it was smaller than M1.5. The list below can include smaller ones the map leaves out. Tap any dot for details.
In the last 30 days, 0 earthquakes of M1.5 or bigger were recorded within 100 km of Salem. The biggest quake on record near Salem — records go back to 1980 — was the M5.2 of Apr 18, 2008, 09:36 UTC: 7 km NNE of Bellmont, Illinois.
Latest earthquakes near Salem
| Mag | Location | Local time | Depth | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M2.4 | 4 km NNE of Valier, Illinois | Sep 14, 2026, 06:47 AM | 18 km | 65 km S |
| M3.5 | 6 km NE of West Salem, Illinois | Jun 29, 2026, 02:05 AM | 19 km | 86 km E |
| M3.8 | 4 km NW of Ohlman, Illinois | Jan 20, 2026, 01:27 AM | 9 km | 87 km NNW |
| M3.3 | 7 km SSW of Lerna, Illinois | May 12, 2025, 11:43 PM | 10 km | 97 km NNE |
| M3.1 | 5 km WNW of Waltonville, Illinois | Dec 17, 2023, 10:10 PM | 17 km | 46 km SSW |
| M3.8 | 4 km N of Bellmont, Illinois | Sep 19, 2017, 06:47 AM | 12 km | 93 km ESE |
| M3.1 | 4 km N of Bellmont, Illinois | Sep 08, 2017, 11:15 PM | 12 km | 93 km ESE |
| M3.1 | 9 km SSE of Mulberry Grove, Illinois | Jul 01, 2017, 01:07 PM | 17 km | 35 km NW |
| M3.4 | 4 km ENE of Geff, Illinois | May 29, 2015, 07:41 PM | 26 km | 54 km ESE |
| M4.0 | 7 km NNE of Bellmont, Illinois | Apr 21, 2008, 12:38 AM | 18 km | 95 km ESE |
Earthquakes per year near Salem (M3.0 and up, within 100 km)
M3.0–3.9 M4.0+
Each bar is one year; taller means more quakes (M3.0 and up). The dark red part is the bigger ones (M4.0+), counted inside the number above each bar — not added on top. These may be felt, depending on how far away and how deep they are. 2026 is not a full year yet — it only counts up to today. Source: USGS Earthquake Catalog.
What the last year looked like near Salem
Every quake of M1.5 or bigger within 100 km over the last year — 3 in total. A quake of exactly M2.0 counts in the M2.0–3.0 group.
The 5 biggest earthquakes on record near Salem (M4.0 and up, since 1980)
| Mag | Location | Date (UTC) | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| M5.2 | 7 km NNE of Bellmont, Illinois | Apr 18, 2008, 09:36 UTC | 94 km |
| M5.2 | 2 km ESE of Claremont, Illinois | Jun 10, 1987, 23:48 UTC | 87 km |
| M4.7 | 9 km NNE of Bellmont, Illinois | Apr 18, 2008, 15:14 UTC | 95 km |
| M4.3 | 2 km ESE of Pierron, Illinois | May 15, 1983, 05:16 UTC | 56 km |
| M4.0 | 7 km NNE of Bellmont, Illinois | Apr 21, 2008, 05:38 UTC | 95 km |
Nearby places
Sandoval, IL (15 km) · Central City, IL (18 km) · Centralia, IL (20 km) · Mount Vernon, IL (35 km) · Vandalia, IL (39 km) · Flora, IL (40 km)
USGS data fetched Nov 03, 2026, 21:45 UTC · page built Nov 03, 2026, 21:45 UTC. How to read this page: recent-window counts cover M1.5+ events within 100 km; the 10-year layer is based on M3.0+ and the history layer on M4.0+ since 1980. Recording completeness varies by era and region — small quakes from early decades are under-recorded, so “no record” does not prove “never happened”. Depths are relative to sea level and can be slightly negative for shallow events in elevated terrain. Method: data & methodology.