Small earthquake shakes parts of Illinois early Tuesday

Small earthquake reported in downstate Illinois

A 3.5 magnitude earthquake struck southern Illinois early Tuesday morning.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - A small earthquake was reported in downstate Illinois early Tuesday morning.

What we know:

The U.S. Geological Survey says the earthquake measured 3.8 (initially 3.5) in magnitude and struck at about 1:30 a.m. The epicenter was about 2.5 miles northwest of Ohlman, in southern Christian County, south of Taylorville and Springfield.

Small earthquake shakes downstate Illinois on Jan. 20, 2026. | USGS

The quake occurred at a depth of about 5.5 miles, according to the USGS.

FOX Chicago meteorologist Mike Caplan said some people reported feeling the shaking as far away as the St. Louis area. No damage has been reported.

Dig deeper:

Southern and central Illinois sit near the Illinois Basin–Ozark Dome region, which borders the more active New Madrid seismic zone. While strong earthquakes are rare, smaller ones are felt in the region about once or twice a year.

Historically, the largest earthquake in the region was a magnitude 5.4 that damaged southern Illinois in 1968.

What they're saying:

"Earthquakes in the central and eastern U.S., although less frequent than in the western U.S., are typically felt over a much broader region. East of the Rockies, an earthquake can be felt over an area as much as ten times larger than a similar magnitude earthquake on the west coast. A magnitude 4.0 eastern U.S. earthquake typically can be felt at many places as far as 100 km (60 mi) from where it occurred, and it infrequently causes damage near its source. A magnitude 5.5 eastern U.S. earthquake usually can be felt as far as 500 km (300 mi) from where it occurred, and sometimes causes damage as far away as 40 km (25 mi)," according to the USGS.