A 4.2 magnitude earthquake near the Kitsap-Pierce County line shook the Puget Sound region Tuesday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake struck a few miles northwest of Gig Harbor around 2:05 p.m.
Residents in Seattle, Tacoma and Everett reported feeling light shaking. Pacific Northwest Seismic Network director Harold Tobin said there will likely be smaller aftershocks, but the probability of a larger earthquake is low.
The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami was unlikely in the Seattle area.
Sound Transit said light rail trains were sharing one track at the Angle Lake station Tuesday afternoon due to seismic activity."
The estimated depth of the quake was about 17 miles. The exact magnitude was revised from initial estimates of 4.0 and 4.3.
The quake appears to be along the Tacoma fault line, one of many faults in the Puget Sound region. The fault runs roughly in a 35-mile nearly straight line east-west between Kent and Union, passing through Vashon Island, according to the Washington State Military Department.
"At this time, we have no reports of damage or impacts," the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management reported around 3 p.m.
A 4.2 earthquake produces moderate shaking and the potential for very light damage, according to the USGS.
Jan Kop felt it in Issaquah on the shore of Lake Sammamish.
"One hard jolt and water in my glass sloshed once," she said.
Others reported shaking that lasted a few seconds, or just a sharp rumble.
"I live in Manchester (in Kitsap County) and felt a jolt as I sat there reading," Dennis Matthews said. "I thought someone had punched the back of my chair."
The earthquake is the fourth-highest magnitude in Washington state in a decade, according to USGS data. A 4.6 quake struck near Monroe in July 2019; a 4.5 hit near Orcas Island in March 2025; and a 4.3 was felt near Port Townsend in October 2023.
Tobin, the seismologist, said the shaking is a reminder that "we live in earthquake country" in the Pacific Northwest.
"There's that possibility of a damaging earthquake," he said. "But this one is not that.
© 2026 The Seattle Times. Visit www.seattletimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
