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)
Milo · IA, USA
Orange lights in triangle formation
Council Bluffs · IA, USA
MADAR Node 133
Fairfield · IA, USA
8 lights flying S to equal distance from each other and disappeared ((NUFORC Note: Starlink satellites? PD))
Stacyville · IA, USA
Multiple Objects moving East in a row one after another. (("Spacelink" satellites.))
Chelsea · IA, USA
10-12 circular lights lined up on a hill
Chelsea · IA, USA
Row of 10-12 circles. (("Starlink" satellites??))
Des Moines · IA, USA
Light disk object bigger than plane enters atmosphere.
Burlington · IA, USA
Points of light moving across the sky. ((NUFORC Note: Starlink satellites? PD))
Bondurant · IA, USA
Circle of lights flashing different colors and yellow larger lights
Stanhope · IA, USA
Seen while driving home to the west. Looked like an orange light that got close really fast then disapered in a blink.
Council Bluffs · IA, USA
Standing alone object in night sky changes color after I shine flashlight on it.
Graettinger · IA, USA
Son driving home- in the country. He saw a circular shape rotating with 3 bright lights. The lights were also circulating. The object w
Council Bluffs (outside of) · IA, USA
My Son and Myself had taken His Son to Sioux Falls South Dakota on 9/24/2019.On the way back at 10:34 PM exactly 63 miles from Council
Altoona · IA, USA
Bright orange ball over Iowa
Bondurant · IA, USA
Southeast sky of Altoona Iowa. Was a bright large light..disappeared in a quick instance
Lewis · IA, USA
White orb hovering before shooting off into the sky
Centerville · IA, USA
Seen several what looked to be planes but had no wings. Looked to be 'fake planes" they went in straight lines and looked like pla
West Des Moines · IA, USA
Did not see the light in the sky. It was sunset and there was some very interesting mid-altitude shadowing that seemed to have no origi
Bettendorf · IA, USA
7 bright lights in the form of a triangle but saw no structure and appeared black in the sky and did not move
Muscatine · IA, USA
Diferent colored lights changing shape.
New London · IA, USA
MADAR Node 108
Moravia · IA, USA
It went straight. Did a circle and left the direction it came. Very very fast. Then it disappeared.
Des Moines · IA, USA
A bright red light hovering over downtown Des Moines, on the south end. The light was much larger than a plane, and moved more quickly
Coralville · IA, USA
Two circular objects were photographed interacting with clouds in Coralville, Iowa.
Des Moines · IA, USA
Big Smooth Triangular shape flying alarmingly low and fast in DM, IA.