On the morning of June 13, 2025, residents of Denver, Colorado, experienced an unusual event: a magnitude 2.9 earthquake that caused light shaking across the metro area.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the quake struck at 6:08 a.m. local time, with its epicenter located approximately 3 miles southwest of Dacono, just north of Denver. Though minor, the event was notable due to the rarity of earthquakes in the region.

Earthquakes are uncommon in Denver, a city situated in a region considered to have low seismic activity.

The USGS noted that the last earthquake of magnitude 3.0 or greater in the Denver metro area occurred in 1981, a magnitude 4.3 event in Northglenn.

Since then, seismic events in the area have typically been small, with magnitudes below 3.0.

The June 13 quake, while not significant enough to cause damage, was felt along Interstate 25 and in surrounding towns, likely due to its shallow depth of 5.09 miles and its occurrence during the early morning when many residents were awake.

The shallow nature of the earthquake, combined with its location in a densely populated urban area, amplified its perceptibility. Residents reported light shaking that rattled household items but caused no structural damage or injuries.

Social media posts on X captured the surprise of locals, with users like @BianchiWeather and @Solfleet noting the rarity of the event and asking others if they felt the tremor.

While Colorado is not typically associated with earthquakes, the state has experienced notable seismic activity in the past.

One of the most significant events in Denver’s history occurred in the 1960s, when a series of earthquakes was triggered by the injection of waste fluids into a deep well at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, northeast of the city.

Between 1962 and 1967, over 1,300 quakes were recorded, including a magnitude 5.2 event in November 1967 that caused minor damage in suburban areas.

The Army ceased using the well in 1966 after linking the injections to the seismic activity, and it was permanently sealed in 1985.

More recently, a magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck 178 miles south of Denver on March 9, 2023, marking the strongest quake near the city in the past decade.

However, such events remain infrequent, with only five earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or higher occurring within 186 miles of Denver in the last 10 years.