The quake hit two kilometers north of Tres Pinos at 3:23 p.m., USGS said.
The California Geological Survey says the quake occurred near Hollister in the area of the Calaveras Fault Zone. They say the shaking was felt by geologists in the CGS Bay Area office.
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Aftershocks can be expected as officials continue monitoring the region.
So far, there are no reports of any major damage or injuries.
In Hollister, the quake was strong enough to topple products on aisle floors at grocery stores.
The owner of Hollister Super, Chang So, said the quake seemed longer than other ones in the past.
"A little bit of a jolt and then it kind of rolled on a little bit but it wasn't really terrible," So said.
Hollister Super manager Elvira Bustillos said it was a little scary. Customers and employees were shaken up.
"Everything started falling and I'm like, oh my gosh an earthquake, what do I do you know? Because it's been so long since we've had this size of an earthquake," Bustillos said.
After managers of Hollister Super made sure no one was hurt, they went into cleanup mode.
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"A lot of glass on the floor, salsas on the floor - the aroma was very spicy haha," Bustillos said.
At Dollar General, their doors were closed for the rest of the day to deal with cleanup.
At Milady Nail Spa, they only had some products tip over, but the quake was long enough to create a scare for customers.
"There was one of our ladies who was sitting in the farthest pedicure chair and she had her shoes off, and she ran outside. Just really scared - shoeless," Carley Esparza said.
The quake served as a reminder to be prepared.
"We don't have earthquakes all the time, but we forget so this is just a good reminder of safety and what to do if there's a bigger earthquake coming," Elvira Bustillos said.
Click here for the latest stories and videos about earthquakes here in the Bay Area and around the world, and click here for more information on disaster preparedness.
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