Earthquake hits central Illinois. Here's what to know

Tom Ackerman, Springfield State Journal-Register

Tue, January 20, 2026 at 3:48 PM UTC

1 min read

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A 3.8 magnitude earthquake was recorded about a half an hour south of Taylorville in the early morning hours of Jan. 20.

The earthquake happened in the village of Ohlman at 1:27 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Sangamon County spokesman Jeff Wilhite said the county's Office of Emergency Management didn't feel any reports of damage. There were no calls to the county's Central Dispatch System about the earthquake, Wilhite added.

Damage does not usually occur until the earthquake magnitude reaches above four or five, according to a webpage from USGS.

Jan. 20 impact map for earthquake in central Illinois.

Residents in the area commented on social media about feeling the earthquake, or waking up from it.

One woman who was awaken thought it was thunder, she wrote in a Facebook comment within a post where people shared their thoughts about the seismic activity.

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Another woman said her windows in west Springfield rattled slightly and her house shook, waking her up.

People talked about feeling or hearing the earthquake in places like Carlinville, Tallula, and Auburn, and Williamsville, to name a few places.

The webpage from USGS that shared information about the incident also shows information like a "Did You Feel It?" map, also known as a Community Internet Intensity Map, among other information available.

Tom Ackerman covers breaking news and trending news along with general news for the Springfield State Journal-Register. He can be reached at tackerman@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Earthquake hits in central Illinois village south of Springfield

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