UFO Sightings in California
15,215 UFO sightings reported in California since 1935, peaking in 2014 (869 reports); most often described as light.
- Total sightings
- 15,215
- Span
- 1935–2028
- Peak year
- 2014 (869 reports)
- Dominant shape
- Light
1935–2028 · peak 2014 (869 reports)
Top cities in California
Los Angeles
1942–2022 · peak 2007 (29 reports)
San Diego
1944–2022 · peak 2007 (32 reports)
Sacramento
1956–2022 · peak 2012 (26 reports)
San Jose
1947–2022 · peak 2012 (21 reports)
San Francisco
1956–2021 · peak 2008 (26 reports)
Fresno
1953–2022 · peak 2014 (18 reports)
Long Beach
1957–2022 · peak 2017 (13 reports)
Bakersfield
1961–2022 · peak 1995 (13 reports)
Santa Rosa
1955–2022 · peak 2015 (10 reports)
Santa Barbara
1968–2022 · peak 2020 (12 reports)
Riverside
1976–2020 · peak 2008 (11 reports)
Modesto
1947–2021 · peak 2009 (13 reports)
Redding
1986–2022 · peak 2012 (10 reports)
Burbank
1981–2021 · peak 2003 (24 reports)
Huntington Beach
1945–2020 · peak 2012 (8 reports)
Anaheim
1963–2020 · peak 2015 (12 reports)
Ventura
1967–2021 · peak 2012 (13 reports)
El Cajon
1969–2022 · peak 2014 (14 reports)
Irvine
1980–2022 · peak 2007 (18 reports)
Oakland
1968–2022 · peak 2003 (6 reports)
Poway · CA, USA
White sphere coming at me very fast. Bright white radius grew very large. ((NUFORC Note: US Navy missile launch. PD))
Palmdale · CA, USA
blue/green trail in sky, followed by burst of white light. ((NUFORC Note: US Navy missile launch. PD))
Apple Valley · CA, USA
HUGE craft with 3 lights, moved very slowly and made NO sound.
San Diego · CA, USA
Saw a spotlight type of light that rotated towards us then expanded outwards. ((NUFORC Note: US Navy missile launch. PD))
Escondido · CA, USA
Flying object with long fiery tail and blueish green spherical cloud. ((NUFORC Note: US Navy missile launch. PD))
Carlsbad · CA, USA
White dot with growing orb of white then greeish-blue gas emitted from craft.
San Juan Capistrano · CA, USA
Driving through neighborhood to find parking. Spotted greenish/blue/whitish light. ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))
Rohnert Park · CA, USA
Fiery flying funnel! ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))
Newberry Springs · CA, USA
Strangest meteor I have ever seen. ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))
Thousand Oaks · CA, USA
Bright obj. with a bright white trail was crossing the sky, emitted a beam. ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))
Petaluma · CA, USA
Silver Conical Craft with Exceptionally Bright Light over Petaluma, CA. ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))
San Ysidro · CA, USA
White bright light with green aura. ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))
San Jose · CA, USA
low flying craft emitting a triangle shape of lighted blue haze. ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))
San Jose · CA, USA
High altitude light with plume changes direction and is viewed for 10 minutes. ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))
Palm Springs · CA, USA
Palm Spring Canyon Light. ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))
Redlands · CA, USA
big bright white light followed by blue band. ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))
Lomira · CA, USA
Strange ball of light. ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))
Ozena · CA, USA
Fireball burst leaving a blue trail of matter. ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))
Oxnard · CA, USA
Bright turquoise glow in W sky; a white light and white sphere-like obj. appeared. ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))
San Jose · CA, USA
White ball of light emits white cone of light with a green stripe inside of it. ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))
San Diego (Mission Valley) · CA, USA
Started as a bright white light with no noise; burst outwards into a dense foggy halo. ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))
Walnut Creek · CA, USA
Bright light emitted from circular shape. ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))
Laguna Beach · CA, USA
Extremely bright white light came into atmosphere over ocean; object the exploded. ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))
Danville · CA, USA
Cone shape ascending SW direction, upward...similar to rocket type vapor trail. ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))
Gilroy · CA, USA
Looked like a spot light high up with a blue green light beam in the center. ((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))