Small New Jersey Earthquake Rattles New York City Buildings

A small earthquake shook the dust off the walls and rattled windows across northern New Jersey and the greater New York City area Tuesday.

The 2.7-magnitude temblor was centered about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) south of Hillsdale, New Jersey, and was caused by a local fault, said John Bellini, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake struck about 12:12 p.m., according to the agency’s website.

“It’s an average, run-of-the-mill quake for that part of the country, there are just enough people there for them to feel it,” Bellini said. The faults in New Jersey aren’t as active as those in California, for example, but they do produce shakes every once and again.

A minor tremor also hit the New York area on Saturday night, but wasn’t related to Tuesday’s temblor, Bellini said. A larger earthquake – 4.8 magnitude – in April 2024 rattled Manhattan and was felt as far away as Washington and Massachusetts.

Top photo: Buildings in the Manhattan skyline in New York, on Saturday, May 10, 2025. New York City officials cut their forecast for the number of international tourists this year by 17%, saying President Donald Trumps tariffs and hard-line policies on immigration are deterring visitors. Photographer: Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg.