Minor earthquake strikes east of Cheyenne Wells near Colorado-Kansas border
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A magnitude 3.1 earthquake struck near Weskan in western Kansas Saturday afternoon, roughly 20 miles east of Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred at 2:31 p.m. Mountain Time on March 28, with its epicenter located approximately 3.4 miles northwest of Weskan in Wallace County, Kansas. The quake originated at a shallow depth of about 3.1 miles beneath the surface.
The epicenter was situated just east of the Colorado-Kansas state line, about 20 miles from Cheyenne Wells and roughly 50 miles northeast of Eads. The nearest larger Kansas communities include Sharon Springs, approximately 12 miles to the east, and Goodland, roughly 45 miles to the northeast. The USGS reported the area as approximately 134 miles southeast of Fort Morgan and 170 miles east-southeast of Denver.
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At least three people reported feeling the earthquake through the USGS “Did You Feel It?” reporting system within the first hour, with a maximum community intensity of III on the Modified Mercalli scale, corresponding to weak shaking. At that level, the quake would have been felt as a brief jolt or rumble indoors, and hanging objects may have swung slightly. No structural damage is expected at this magnitude, according to the USGS. Residents in Cheyenne Wells and other nearby eastern Colorado communities may also have felt light shaking.
Western Kansas is not typically considered a seismically active region. The area sits on stable High Plains geology with no major known fault systems directly beneath it, making earthquakes in this part of the state relatively uncommon. Most Kansas seismic activity has historically been concentrated along the Nemaha Ridge and Humboldt Fault Zone in the eastern part of the state.
The region has seen occasional seismic activity in recent years. In June and July 2025, six small earthquakes were recorded in northwest Kansas near Bogue and Hill City, measuring between 2.5 and 2.7 on the Richter Scale. In March 2023, a series of six earthquakes struck Colorado, with the strongest measuring magnitude 4.3.
Wallace County, home to the earthquake’s epicenter, has a population of approximately 1,500 residents. Weskan, the nearest community, has a population of roughly 160 people.
The USGS classified this as a preliminary report. Additional information, including community reports of shaking, is available on the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program event page.
