Butte, Mont. – A minor earthquake rattled parts of southwestern Montana early Saturday, centered roughly 18 kilometers southeast of Butte.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the magnitude 2.7 quake struck at 6:27 a.m. MDT (12:27 UTC) at a depth of approximately 10.9 kilometers. Though considered minor, the tremor was felt by at least nine residents in the region, who submitted reports through the USGS “Did You Feel It?” program.
No damage or injuries have been reported, and no alerts were issued by emergency agencies. Residents in nearby areas like Whitehall and Dillon may have experienced light shaking but are not expected to see further seismic activity at this time.
Small quakes like this are not uncommon in Montana, which lies along the Intermountain Seismic Belt — a zone of active crustal movement stretching from northwest Arizona through western Montana. While this event was relatively weak, it serves as a reminder that preparedness matters, even in rural areas.
USGS continues to monitor the region for aftershocks. No additional seismic activity has been recorded within a 250 km radius in the past 24 hours.
More information and citizen reporting tools are available at earthquake.usgs.gov.
