How frequent are earthquakes in or near New Mexico, USA?

New Mexico has relatively few earthquakes. Based on data from the past 55 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 252 quakes on average per year in or near New Mexico, USA. However, New Mexico has had at least 4 quakes above magnitude 5 since 1970, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 10 to 15 years.

How many earthquakes occur every year in or near New Mexico, USA?

On average, New Mexico has about 97 quakes of magnitude 2 or higher per year (Mag 3+: 17.7 quakes per year).

Volcanoes of New Mexico (13)

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Latest earthquakes: New Mexico

In the past 7 days, New Mexico has had 4 quakes of magnitude 2.0 or above. There were also 8 quakes below magnitude 2.0 which people don't normally feel.

A Magnitude earthquake occurred in .

Magnitude Earthquake -

Date and Time	Mag / Depth	Nearest Volcano / Location
Oct 23, 01:05 am (Denver)	2.9 5 km	244 km (152 mi) NE of Valles Caldera	9.9 mi north of Trinidad, Las Animas County, Colorado, United States I FELT IT - 2 reports	Info
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Oct 21, 06:52 pm (Chicago)	1.4 6.3 km	315 km (196 mi) SE of Carrizozo	Loving County, 58 mi west of Odessa, Ector County, Texas, United States	Info
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Oct 21, 07:42 am (Denver)	2.7 7.1 km	272 km (169 mi) SE of Carrizozo	22 mi southwest of Hobbs, Lea County, New Mexico, United States I FELT IT	Info
Sunday, October 19, 2025 GMT (4 quakes)
Oct 19, 05:40 am (Chicago)	2.5 0.5 km	364 km (226 mi) SE of Carrizozo	12 mi south of Pecos, Reeves County, Texas, United States	Info
Oct 18, 09:41 pm (Chicago)	2.6 6.5 km	313 km (194 mi) SE of Carrizozo	Loving County, 19 mi west of Kermit, Winkler County, Texas, United States I FELT IT	Info
Oct 18, 09:33 pm (Chicago)	2.0 6.1 km	314 km (195 mi) SE of Carrizozo	Loving County, 18 mi west of Kermit, Winkler County, Texas, United States	Info
Oct 18, 08:04 pm (Chicago)	1.5 5.5 km	314 km (195 mi) SE of Carrizozo	26 km SW of Jal, New Mexico	Info
Friday, October 17, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Oct 17, 04:55 am (Chicago)	1.9 6.6 km	314 km (195 mi) SE of Carrizozo	25 km SW of Jal, New Mexico	Info

See Recent Quakes

Volcano List

Albuquerque

(Volcanic field 1800 m / 5906 ft)

[more info]

Carrizozo

(cinder cones 1731 m / 5,679 ft)

The massive Carrizozo lava flow is one of Earth's longest known lava flows that were erupted in the past 10,000 years. The basalt flow is 50 m thick, 75 km long, 1-5 km wide and was mainly fed by lava tubes. [more info]

Cat Hills

(Volcanic field 1750 m / 5741 ft)

[more info]

Jornada del Muerto

(Shield 1555 m / 5102 ft)

[more info]

Lucero

(Volcanic field 2395 m / 7858 ft)

[more info]

Ocate

(Volcanic field 3000 m / 9843 ft)

[more info]

Potrillo Volcanic Field

(Pyroclastic cone(s) 1695 m / 5561 ft)

[more info]

Raton-Clayton

(monogenetic volcanic field 2700 m / 8,858 ft)

The Raton-Clayton volcanic field, in the extreme northeastern corner of New Mexico, approximately 125 kilometers east of Taos, comprises Sierra Grande shield volcano and 125 cinder cones and associated lava flows, ranging in age between 1 million to ca. 60,000 years old.
T... [more info]

Red Hill

(Volcanic field 2,300 m / 7,546 ft)

Red Hill, also known as Red Hill-Quemado, is a volcanic field in western New Mexico across the border from the Springerville volcanic field in Arizona. It contains more than 40 cinder cones and maars that were active from the late Miocene (approx. 12 million years ago) to early t... [more info]

Taos Plateau

(Volcanic field 3087 m / 10128 ft)

[more info]

Taylor Volcanic Field

(Stratovolcano 3460 m / 11352 ft)

[more info]

Valles Caldera

(caldera 3430 m / 11,253 ft)

The 22-km-wide Valles caldera was formed by 2 very large explosive eruptions 1.7 and 1.2 million years ago. Post caldera eruptions formed Redondo Peak dome inside the caldera.
The last eruptions of the caldera happened 50,000-60,000 years ago, depositing rhyolite ignimbrite... [more info]

Zuni-Bandera

(volcanic field 2550 m / 8,366 ft)

The Zuni-Bandera volcanic field in New Mexico, is an elongated, 90 km long and 1-35 km wide arrea of 2460 km2 along the Jemez lineament west of the Rio Grande Rift.
The field contains cinder cones and extensive lava flows with various types of basalt lava. The youngest lava... [more info]

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