Illinois Quake Upgraded, Felt by More Than 1,600 Residents

Illinois experienced one of the stronger earthquakes the state has felt in recent times and now the USGS says it was stronger than previously believed. More than 1,600 residents reported feeling the quake early Tuesday morning.

By now you no doubt have heard that Illinois had an earthquake at approximately 1:27am Tuesday morning, January 20, 2026

It was initially reported to be a 3.5 quake, but has now been reviewed by the USGS and upgraded to a 3.8 shaker. It's worth nothing that every .1 magnitude an earthquake is measured at, it goes up by a factor of 10 so the bump up from a 3.5 to a 3.8 is very significant. That's why this quake has been widely felt including even parts of the St. Louis area.

This was not necessarily a New Madrid Fault quake

The 3.8 Illinois quake Tuesday was likely a result of movement in the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone. Many don't realize that while the New Madrid Fault is talked about more often, this Illinois fault system is capable of up to a magnitude 7 quake. That's why if you live in Illinois, you need to be earthquake aware and have an emergency plan. You never know when the earth beneath you might suddenly not be dependable.