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)
Des Moines · IA, USA
Large silent dark object in sky producing strange cloud behaviour.
West Branch · IA, USA
While walking my dogs at approx. 10:30pm N of town, a bright red sphere came from the E heading west.......as it got closer the br
Lenox · IA, USA
Disappmall orange ball of light flying from West 2 south east.very slow movingthen simply disappearing
Cedar Rapids · IA, USA
Chevron shape with red and green lights flying in odd patterns.
Muscatine · IA, USA
Here is our descriptions: red-orange looking big sphere with smaller.
Altoona · IA, USA
Orange-red fireball streaking across the night sky faster than an airplane.
Dubuque · IA, USA
To quiet to be any kind of airplane, or helicopter, for being so close to us.
Mason City · IA, USA
Hovered from east stopped went north 1..then 3 minute 2. and 3rd one 3 minutes saw me..oval fire color.
Cedar Rapids · IA, USA
Red-orange light over Cedar Rapids, Iowa, under partly cloudy sky, moving from west to north.
Polk City · IA, USA
Fireball UFO seen over Big Creek in Polk City, Iowa.
Dubuque · IA, USA
Round object moving slowly across sky and goes opposite direction in a second. ((NUFORC Note: Model airplane?? PD))
Iowa City Hwy 218 north · I-380 north, Cedar Rapids), IA, USA
Three objects seen initially, two observed while travelling north, and one low and hovering craft was observed east of my apt. bldg.
Burlington · IA, USA
Seen a bright light that seemed to be above tree top or low in the sky moving from north to south slow then it just disappeared.
Cedar Rapids · IA, USA
White/blue/green object and orange objects flying fast and changing direction too quickly.
Cedar Rapids · IA, USA
Two crafts spotted above Cedar Rapids.
Cedar Falls · IA, USA
Amber light.
Ainsworth · IA, USA
TRIANGLE CRAFT SEEN AGAIN IN AINSWORTH!
Des Moines · IA, USA
Disc shaped object flashing red and blue lights.
Ankeny · IA, USA
White spherical flying object seen flying East at a steady fast pace.
Riverside · IA, USA
Fireball seen in rual Riverside Iowa
Des Moines · IA, USA
5 orange lights in a chevron shape
Decorah · IA, USA
Two amber colored orbs moving together.
Cedar Falls · IA, USA
Low-flying, brisk moving, silent, boomerang/triangular shaped set of lights in a number of approximately 10-20 total lights.
Clinton · IA, USA
I was walking downtown. The sky was riddle with shinny stars,as I was walking ,I had been looking at the ground. In the back of my mi
Des Moines · IA, USA
In Des Moines Iowa white/red light, shot up like a firework, stopped, then zoomed away.