4.3 magnitude earthquake hits near Parkfield, northeast of Paso Robles

A 4.3 magnitude earthquake struck near Parkfield, Calif., according to the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services.

The earthquake hit about 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) northwest of Parkfield. It had a depth of about 5.9 miles or 9.5 kilometers, according to the USGS website.

Parkfield is roughly 25 miles northeast of Paso Robles. The unincorporated community in Monterey County is referred to as the earthquake capital of California, due to the frequency of magnitude 6 or greater earthquakes that hit the area.

“Some people would argue that earthquakes happen randomly," a geophysicist with the USGS's Earthquake Science Center told Pat Pemberton of Courthouse News Service in April, "and we found the one place in the world where it looked like it was on a regular basis.”

The city lies along the central portion of the San Andreas Fault. The last magnitude 6 earthquake to hit the area was in 2004, according to USGS.

First reports indicated that two earthquakes had struck at 12:17 p.m., according to SLO County OES. A public information officer with the department has since clarified that only one earthquake hit — the 4.3 magnitude a few miles northwest of Parkfield.

View an interactive map of the earthquake on the USGS website.

An earlier version of this article reported that two earthquakes hit near Parkfield, echoing initial reports from SLO County OES. The department has since clarified that only one earthquake hit. This article has been updated to reflect that information.