Special Report

These Are the Zip Codes with the Most UFO Sightings

mscornelius / Getty Images

There has been a lot of interest in unidentified flying objects since the Office of the Director of National Intelligence delivered an unclassified report to Congress titled “Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena” in July. People are more likely to take reported sightings seriously when the government is doing so.

24/7 Tempo has identified the zip codes with the most UFO sightings, based on data provided by Cheryl Costa and Linda Miller, authors of “UFO Sightings Desk Reference: United States of America 2001-2020.” This ranking shows the relative likelihood of state residents reporting UFO sightings.

The 85001 zip code, which is in Phoenix, Arizona, tops our list, with 1,374 sightings from 2001 to 2020. That’s substantially higher than the No. 2 zip code, 89101, which is in the Las Vegas, Nevada metro area and which had 970 sightings. 

Both are in desert regions with good visibility and a substantial volume of civilian and military overflights that might account for some sightings. Las Vegas also attracts gamblers and dreamers and the ready availability of alcohol at all hours might explain some of the sightings. (Here are the cities with the most UFO sightings.)

The No. 3 spot is claimed by the 10292 zip code, which is in lower Manhattan. There’s no obvious reason why, although it may be that New Yorkers have paid more attention to flying objects of all kinds since 9/11. 

Farther down at No. 8 is the 60290 zip code in the Chicago area. It’s by O’Hare Airport, which may explain its presence on the list. The top 10 is otherwise dominated by zip codes in the West and Southwest, including big, populous states such as California and Texas. (These are the states with the most UFO sightings.)

Click here to see the zip codes with the most UFO sightings

Allen Allnoch / iStock via Getty Images

25. FL 32099
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 378
> Nearest urban area: Jacksonville, Florida

[in-text-ad]

ibsky / iStock via Getty Images

24. CA 94101
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 380
> Nearest urban area: San Francisco, California

franckreporter / E+ via Getty Images

23. NY 10001
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 380
> Nearest urban area: New York, New York

Joecho-16 / iStock via Getty Images

22. ID 83701
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 393
> Nearest urban area: Boise, Idaho

[in-text-ad-2]

Manny Chavez / Getty Images

21. CA 94203
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 400
> Nearest urban area: Sacramento, California

Curtis and Eric from Crawfordville, FL, USA / Wikimedia Commons

20. SC 29572
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 401
> Nearest urban area: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

[in-text-ad]

Jacob Boomsma / iStock via Getty Images

19. CO 80901
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 403
> Nearest urban area: Colorado Springs, Colorado

sborisov / iStock via Getty Images

18. PA 19019
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 437
> Nearest urban area: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

ULora / iStock via Getty Images

17. FL 33101
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 446
> Nearest urban area: Miami, Florida

[in-text-ad-2]

Rut Mehta / iStock via Getty Images

16. TX 78201
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 475
> Nearest urban area: San Antonio, Texas

Dan Keck / flickr

15. OH 43085
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 503
> Nearest urban area: Worthington, Ohio

[in-text-ad]

Arrangements-Photography / Getty Images

14. FL 32801
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 539
> Nearest urban area: Orlando, Florida

ferrantraite / Getty Images

13. NM 87101
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 541
> Nearest urban area: Albuquerque, New Mexico

milehightraveler / iStock via Getty Images

12. CO 80201
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 564
> Nearest urban area: Denver, Colorado

[in-text-ad-2]

SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images

11. TX 77001
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 606
> Nearest urban area: Houston, Texas

f11photo / iStock via Getty Images

10. CA 92101
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 636
> Nearest urban area: San Diego, California

[in-text-ad]

dszc / iStock via Getty Images

9. AZ 85701
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 654
> Nearest urban area: Tucson, Arizona

xavierarnau / E+ via Getty Images

8. IL 60290
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 701
> Nearest urban area: Chicago, Illinois

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

7. OR 97201
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 712
> Nearest urban area: Portland, Oregon

[in-text-ad-2]

aiisha5 / iStock via Getty Images

6. WA 98101
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 733
> Nearest urban area: Seattle, Washington

SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images

5. TX 73301
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 777
> Nearest urban area: Austin, Texas

[in-text-ad]

Bill Abbott / flickr

4. CA 90001
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 797
> Nearest urban area: Florence-Graham, California

Chaay_Tee / iStock via Getty Images

3. NY 10292
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 949
> Nearest urban area: New York, New York

LPETTET / iStock via Getty Images

2. NV 89101
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 970
> Nearest urban area: Las Vegas, Nevada

[in-text-ad-2]

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

1. AZ 85001
> UFO sightings 2001-2020: 1,374
> Nearest urban area: Phoenix, Arizona

Is Your Money Earning the Best Possible Rate? (Sponsor)

Let’s face it: If your money is just sitting in a checking account, you’re losing value every single day. With most checking accounts offering little to no interest, the cash you worked so hard to save is gradually being eroded by inflation.

However, by moving that money into a high-yield savings account, you can put your cash to work, growing steadily with little to no effort on your part. In just a few clicks, you can set up a high-yield savings account and start earning interest immediately.

There are plenty of reputable banks and online platforms that offer competitive rates, and many of them come with zero fees and no minimum balance requirements. Click here to see if you’re earning the best possible rate on your money!

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.