Nation Magnitude 5.1 earthquake rattles San Francisco Bay Area, the largest to strike the region in years October 26, 2022 Celina Tebor, USA TODAY Comments Off on Magnitude 5.1 earthquake rattles San Francisco Bay Area, the largest to strike the region in years The U.S. Geological Survey said the 11:42 a.m. quake struck 12 miles east of San Jose. The area is about 40 miles southeast of downtown San Francisco.