I was awakened around 3:30 am this morning by a pretty strong earthquake. Turns out it was centered just a few miles east of Mount Vernon. Ed Ball got me to wondering just exactly how close the earthquake was. Thanks to some very cool technology on the web, you can now get an incredibly precise estimate.

First, convert your address/zip code to latitude/longitude.

• Enter your house number, street and zip code
• Click "View" on the AirPhoto USA map.
• Your house will be the red dot. Hover over the center of the red dot. You'll see the latitude/longitude numbers change on the left as you move.
• Write down your lat/long (3 digits is sufficient).

You can find lots of information about the quake at the USGS, including the lat/long of the epicenter (48.439N, 122.271W).

Enter the two lat/long points at this site. You have to use the syntax above.

For example:

Our house is at 48.458N, 122.390W. So I entered:

• Source Latitude: 48.458N         Longitude: 122.390W
• Destination Latitude: 48.439N   Longitude: 122.271W

We are 5.6156 miles from the epicenter.

You can also view a map with the epicenter highlighted.

P.S. I tried a little "Epicenter Horseshoes" and found someone I know that is 1.2110 miles away. Can you do better?