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)
Victor · IA, USA
I was outside, it was partially overcast. Object passed over me from west to east, first saw the object straight above me. Object sped
Des Moines · IA, USA
What I thought was just a satellite, with binoculars I see 3 traveling together at the same speed.
Oskaloosa · IA, USA
A dark, vertical boomerang that moved slowly
Boone · IA, USA
Bright Blue/silver light,right over head,statonary,thought it was a star,The objict moved due North as it dimed to a very small light.
Clarinda · IA, USA
It looked like a star at first...
Des Moines (Southeast of) · IA, USA
Red light in stop and go movement and dropping a storbbing object low in the sky then fading out.
Atlantic · IA, USA
Bright white flashing lights in the sky. Four objects flying in the shape of a "W". Followed them approximately 13 minutes, keeping th
Ottumwa · IA, USA
Daylight sighting of domed disk near Ottumwa
Emmetsburg · IA, USA
I saw what appeared to be a star-like object towards the west. Upon observing the object for a period of time. I notice it had one blin
Iowa City · IA, USA
A white egg shaped object appears in the sky on a clear blue morning and thens grows in size and drifts slowly north. I watch it closel
Cedar Rapids · IA, USA
Long Green tail with a orange fireball moved across the sky from south to north in the eastern sky. Tail disapated orange fireball cont
Kellogg (outside of) · IA, USA
My grandma and me were driving home from Newton and About two or three miles outside of Kellogg my grandma seen something go by us. I d
Norwalk (sml town just sw of Des Moines) · IA, USA
this was a blue-green fireball seen by myself, my husband and our young son. it was moving from the south to the northeast. my husban
Durant (rural) · IA, USA
A fireball of green blue/turquoise and orange color. With long glowing tail traveling behind seem to be descending out of the sky heade
Fairfield · IA, USA
Greenish apearing fireball with spark tail heading slowly eastward.
Iowa City · IA, USA
satellite dots in polar orbit but one grew very bright as it turned into line with first
Iowa City · IA, USA
round white ball beyond treetops straight north moving ENE fluctuating
Cedar Rapids · IA, USA
I was driving home after work when I was a teardrop silvery and shiny object, (and it was obvious that it was chrome colored) passed ac
Brighton (outside of) · IA, USA
camping, object zig-zagged, stopped off and on, went behind a large cloud bank and was so bright it lit through the cloud, weird hard t
Cedar Rapids · IA, USA
Looking west, at about 20-30 degrees up from the horizon, saw strange light that appeared to be moving very slowly or hovering. Lights
Council Bluffs · IA, USA
While driving home from school in Council Bluffs down Interstate 80 I observed a bright flash that streaked across the sky a great dist
Monticello · IA, USA
Happened to catch a very bright and large green fireball streek through the sky in Iowa.
Centerville · IA, USA
Bright Circle of Light followed me from Oskaloosa IA to Centerville, IA.
Humboldt · IA, USA
Saw an object (about the size of star) traveling very fast high in the sky. It then shot straight up out of sight.
Newton · IA, USA
Large light in southwest sky