Did You Feel It? New Jersey Earthquake Rattles Residents In CT & PA

CONNECTICUT — A minor earthquake that struck early Saturday in New Jersey was felt as far away as Connecticut and Pennsylvania, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The magnitude 1.7 quake occurred at 3.1 miles east of Califon, NJ, at approximately 3:54 a.m. The USGS reported the tremor at a depth of 5.7 kilometers.

Despite its small magnitude, the quake was reported by Connecticut residents nearly 120 miles away in Berlin. Additional reports were submitted from York, PA, approximately 114 miles from the epicenter, and from Haddonfield, NJ, near Philadelphia.

Although earthquakes of this size typically do not cause damage, they can be felt over wide areas depending on geological conditions.

This is not the first time seismic activity in New Jersey has been felt in neighboring states. In April 2024, a stronger magnitude 4.8 earthquake centered in Tewksbury, NJ, was widely felt across the Northeast, including in parts of Connecticut, where residents reported shaking lasting several seconds.

According to the USGS, reports of minor tremors in the region are not unusual, though significant earthquakes remain rare.

In January, residents were rattled by multiple quakes. A 3.8 magnitude quake that originated in York Harbor, ME, was felt by residents of Hartford County, Danbury and New Haven. Another 1.8 magnitude earthquake was reported in Moodus, a village in East Haddam, earlier in the month.