UFOs are a hot topic these days. Congress is talking about it. The New York Times is talking about it. And, naturally, internet fanatics are talking about it. And everyone’s talking about it because UFOs seem to be everywhere. From sea to sparkling sea, Americans are seeing strange lights in the sky. But which states have the most sightings?
To answer this important question, Newsweek magazine created a map showing UFO-related hotspots in the United States. The map is based on data from the National UFO Reporting Center, a long-standing Washington-based nonprofit that has been collecting and analyzing UFO sightings for decades. According to the center, “its primary role for the past 50 years has been to receive, record, and, where possible, corroborate and document reports from individuals who have witnessed unusual, possibly UFO-related, events.” According to the center’s data, there have been 133,717 reported UFO sightings in the United States since 1995.
So which state has the most action? The winner is (*drum roll*): California!
According to the National UFO Reporting Center, California has seen a staggering 16,444 sightings since the nonprofit first began collecting data. Florida (8,408), Washington (7,297), and Texas (6,288) are in second place. And when it comes to UFO numbers, some states are total losers, like North Dakota (with only 278 sightings) and Washington, DC (with just 156 sightings).
California’s status as UFO king makes sense for a number of reasons. After all, it’s one of the most populous states in the US, which means more people are likely to report something strange they see in the sky. It’s also worth pointing out that California is one of the states with the most US Air Force bases, which may have something to do with the high number of sightings, given the theory that many UFOs are actually government aircraft.
If you have seen a UFO and would like to report it, you can call the center’s 24-hour hotline at 206-722-3000 and share your story. The center also urges people who want to make reports to consider the possibility that what they saw could have been a satellite, a rocket launch or even a planet.
