Weird Illinois Quake Just Felt Along Historic Trail of Tears

Something very peculiar just happened in the Trail of Tears region in Illinois. An earthquake that was reportedly felt by locals has been confirmed by the USGS.

If you've never been to the Trail of Tears State Forest in Illinois, it's gorgeous

According to the USGS, a tiny quake was felt in this part of Illinois just west/northwester of Jonesboro around 8:13pm Tuesday night, September 9, 2025 registering a measly 1.6 magnitude on the Richter Scale.

The "felt" site from the USGS shows that someone did report feeling this minor tremor.

A quake this small is no big deal, but it's not the typical New Madrid quake location which is normally the Missouri boot heel area or northeastern Arkansas or Tennessee. This just proves how wildly unpredictable the New Madrid Seismic Zone can be. This does NOT mean that a major event is coming necessarily, but it's another curious moment of activity from the fault that may someday ruin all of our days.