UFO Sightings in Iowa
1,149 UFO sightings reported in Iowa since 1939, peaking in 2012 (101 reports); most often described as light.
- Total sightings
- 1,149
- Span
- 1939–2022
- Peak year
- 2012 (101 reports)
- Dominant shape
- Light
1939–2022 · peak 2012 (101 reports)
Top cities in Iowa
Des Moines
1968–2021 · peak 2012 (11 reports)
Cedar Rapids
1967–2020 · peak 2012 (11 reports)
Council Bluffs
1974–2022 · peak 2020 (6 reports)
Sioux City
1954–2021 · peak 2004 (4 reports)
Waterloo
1989–2020 · peak 2013 (5 reports)
Iowa City
1975–2022 · peak 1999 (5 reports)
Davenport
1974–2020 · peak 2011 (3 reports)
Ames
1990–2020 · peak 2001 (4 reports)
Dubuque
2002–2020 · peak 2014 (5 reports)
Bettendorf
1998–2021 · peak 1998 (3 reports)
Cedar Falls
2004–2016 · peak 2007 (4 reports)
West Des Moines
2000–2021 · peak 2011 (3 reports)
Muscatine
1998–2019 · peak 2011 (3 reports)
Urbandale
2000–2021 · peak 2014 (3 reports)
Fairfield
1968–2020 · peak 2003 (4 reports)
Marion
1998–2021 · peak 2002 (3 reports)
Ottumwa
1993–2012 · peak 2005 (3 reports)
Ankeny
2000–2020 · peak 2014 (3 reports)
Keokuk
1939–2018 · peak 2007 (2 reports)
Mason City
1982–2014 · peak 2005 (3 reports)
Marion · IA, USA
Orange/white spheres seen by nurse and other neighbors hovering
Ankeny · IA, USA
Amber lit triangle passes above Ankeny,IA.
Ames · IA, USA
Bright red and orange lights and rapid chaotic movement.
Mason City · IA, USA
At around 22:25 my wife and I are getting I the car to go to work when we saw an orange fireball in the west sky traveling g from south
Urbandale · IA, USA
Faint boomerang object with no sound, no lights gliding through the sky at a high rate of speed.
Iowa City · IA, USA
Red white and blue strobing; far away. I thought I was watching an exploding star. ((NUFORC Note: "Twinkling" star? PD))
Melbourne · IA, USA
Orange oval.
Cedar Rapids · IA, USA
Boomerang/cresent crescent shape object absorbs dense white cloud in seconds in a blue sky
Montrose · IA, USA
Bow Tie shaped craft near Montrose, Iowa.
Iowa City · IA, USA
Pulsing orange yellow light moving in a straight line. thought it must be a helicopter, but no sound. It abruptly changed directions
North Liberty · IA, USA
2 round, very large objects traveling at alarming speed through cloud ceiling.
Bettendorf · IA, USA
At first I thought it was a shooting star. Then the colors changed and I noticed it wasn't falling but rising. It stopped.
North Liberty · IA, USA
Square, didn't move, low flying, solid.
Des Moines · IA, USA
Three white shaped circles. Motion was circular. One would disappear and reappear.
Bettendorf · IA, USA
Large round red-orange glowing or burning object, shooting very fast through the sky going north, bigger than a plane & faster.
Sabula · IA, USA
Sabula, Iowa, chevron shaped craft.
Waterloo · IA, USA
Orange circles that appeared within, I think, the other.
Des Moines · IA, USA
Me, my wife, and another couple, as well as our small children were waiting for a fireworks display on the 4th of July. The night sky w
West Branch · IA, USA
3 red lights 1 bright white one and 1 dim white one.
Dubuque · IA, USA
Fireball shot across the sky with a Northern trajectory.
West Des Moines · IA, USA
Orange burning ball traveling north. At one time the ball shot eastbound then continued northbound.
Sumner · IA, USA
Fireball changing speed and direction witnessed by two near Sumner, IA. Second sighting at this location.
North Liberty · IA, USA
Red/Orange fireball craft over North Liberty, IA.
Waterloo · IA, USA
One small, white ball of light. No noise. Moved slowly across the sky, roughly 75-100 yards above a 3rd floor apartment balcony. Moved
Ankeny · IA, USA
A single, bright orange light moving from west to east changing speed, then turning north and vanishing.