You’re likely here because the floor just felt a little "off," or maybe your kitchen cabinets did that weird rattle that definitely wasn't a heavy truck passing by. People often assume the Rocky Mountains are these stoic, unmoving giants, but the ground beneath them is actually pretty chatty. If you're asking was there an earthquake today in Colorado, you aren't alone.
As of early afternoon on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and local seismic monitors haven't flagged any significant, felt earthquakes within the state lines in the last 24 hours. Now, "significant" is the keyword there. Seismographs are incredibly sensitive; they pick up tiny tremors all the time that humans have zero chance of feeling.
Basically, unless you’re a high-precision instrument buried in a vault, you likely didn't feel anything today. But that doesn't mean Colorado is "dead" seismically. Far from it.
The Recent Rumble Record
While today has been quiet, the last couple of weeks haven't been totally silent. On January 8, a tiny magnitude 1.6 tremor popped up about 17 kilometers east-southeast of Colorado City. That’s barely a tickle in the grand scheme of things. Before that, on New Year’s Day, a magnitude 3.6 hit near El Moro. That one actually got some people's attention.
Honestly, Colorado is a bit of a "sleeper" state for seismic activity. We aren't California or Alaska, but we aren't Florida either. The state has thousands of faults, many of which are considered "potentially active."
Why Colorado Actually Shakes
Most folks think you need a plate boundary—like the San Andreas Fault—to have a real earthquake. Colorado is right in the middle of a tectonic plate, which makes our geology a bit more mysterious.
Most of our natural shaking comes from the Rio Grande Rift. This is a massive geological feature where the earth's crust is literally being pulled apart. It stretches from Mexico all the way up through central Colorado. As the crust stretches, it breaks. When it breaks, you get an earthquake.
But it's not all natural. Colorado has a famous history with "induced seismicity." Back in the 1960s, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal near Denver started pumping fluid into a deep disposal well. Suddenly, Denver—which almost never had earthquakes—started getting rocked by magnitude 5.0+ tremors. It was a huge wake-up call for the scientific community about how human activity, specifically deep-well injection, can trigger faults that have been quiet for thousands of years.
The Problem With the Front Range
The biggest concern for emergency planners isn't a tiny 2.0 quake in the middle of a field near Trinidad. It’s the Cheraw Fault or the faults running right under the Denver Metro area.
If you look at the historical record, the big one already happened. On November 7, 1882, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit the northern Front Range. It was felt as far away as Kansas and Utah. If that happened today, with millions of people living between Fort Collins and Colorado Springs, the damage would be in the billions.
How to Check if You Felt One
If you're still convinced you felt something today—maybe a light vibration or a swaying light fixture—there are two places you should check immediately.
- The USGS "Latest Earthquakes" Map: This is the gold standard. They update within minutes of a detected event.
- Did You Feel It? (DYFI): This is a crowdsourced tool by the USGS. If you felt shaking, you go there and report it. Sometimes, the public reports an earthquake before the official sensors have even processed the data.
It’s also worth noting that what you felt might not be an earthquake. Construction, mining blasts (very common in the mountains), or even atmospheric sonic booms can mimic the sensation of a quick tremor.
What to Do Next
Since we live in a state where the ground can move, it’s worth being a little bit prepared. You don't need a bunker, but knowing the "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" drill is actually useful.
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If you want to stay on top of this, you can set up USGS Earthquake Notifications. You can choose to get a text or email specifically for Colorado quakes above a certain magnitude. It’s a great way to confirm if that "rattle" was a geological event or just your dog hitting the wall too hard.
Check your home for any heavy items on high shelves that could fall during a 5.0 quake. It’s the little things, like securing a bookshelf to a wall, that make the most difference when the Rio Grande Rift decides to remind us it's there.
Stay aware of your surroundings, and if you truly suspect a tremor occurred, check the official USGS feeds for the most up-to-date confirmation for January 13.