The 6.9 magnitude quake at just before 1:00 p.m. local time was the strongest of four quakes of magnitude 5.0 or greater over a 45-minute period, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The Phoenix Fire Department reported that the shaking was so strong there, more than 300 miles from the epicenter, that workers briefly evacuated a high-rise building. Workers in downtown Tucson briefly left the buildings they work in after the strongest of the quakes jolted the city.
The quake also caused buildings to shake in San Diego, California, where some workers evacuated a downtown office building.
Authorities in both Mexico and the United States said that there appeared to have been no injuries or major damage due to the shaking.
The quake swarm was centered beneath the Gulf of California between Isla Angel de la Guarda and Isla Tiburon.
A major tectonic fault extends through the length of the Gulf of California, which was formed millions of years ago when tectonic forces split the Baja California peninsula from the Mexican mainland.
Earthquakes frequently occur along the fault, but Monday’s temblor was unusually strong.