 The Virginia Seismic Zone has not had a history of regular earthquake activity . Earthquakes are rarely above 4 @.@ 5 in magnitude , because Virginia is located away from the edges of the North American Plate . The largest earthquake , at an estimated 5 @.@ 9 magnitude , was in 1897 near Blacksburg . A 5 @.@ 8 magnitude earthquake struck central Virginia on August 23 , 2011 , near Mineral . The earthquake was reportedly felt as far away as Toronto , Atlanta and Florida . 
