The Counties With the Most UFO Sightings

Special Report

Published: January 2, 2022 12:00 pm

Reported sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) have increased in recent years, and some parts of the country have proven to be particularly hospitable to strange things in the sky — or at least to those who see them.

24/7 Tempo has identified the counties with the most UFO sightings per capita, based on data provided by Cheryl Costa and Linda Miller, authors of “UFO Sightings Desk Reference: United States of America 2001-2020.” The data shows the relative likelihood of county residents reporting UFO sightings. (Population figures come from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.)

A number of factors influence the number of sightings, including population, geography, climate, and weather. Reporting is facilitated by access to broadband, and media reports may create a feedback loop: high-profile incidents, such as when airline pilots report being buzzed by fast-moving objects, are often followed by a rash of sightings. (Here is why scientists think there is life on other planets.)

Horry County, South Carolina leads the country in UFO sightings, with 254.1 per 100,000 residents. That makes sense as it’s home to Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, the cities with the most per capita sightings.

The No. 2 and No. 3 spots are claimed by Yavapai and Mohave counties in Arizona. The state has three more counties farther down the list: Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal. That may have something to do with the state’s clear skies and with the fact that Arizona is a leisure destination — another factor that drives sightings. (These are the states with the most UFO sightings.)

Click here to see the counties with the most UFO sightings

There are also seven counties each in Florida and Washington, six in Colorado, five in California, and four in Oregon. If there’s a surprise inclusion, it’s New York County — better known as Manhattan — with 65.3 sightings per 100,000 residents. Though the city’s tall buildings and bright lights are hardly conducive to sightings, it is, after all, a magnet for visitors — and maybe extraterrestrials figure if they can make it there, they can make it anywhere.

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50. Providence County, Rhode Island
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 53.5
> Total sightings: 340 — #88 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 635,737

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49. Palm Beach County, Florida
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 53.6
> Total sightings: 785 — #19 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 1,465,027

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48. Monmouth County, New Jersey
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 54.5
> Total sightings: 339 — #89 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 621,659

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47. San Diego County, California
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 54.7
> Total sightings: 1,814 — #4 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 3,316,073

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46. Riverside County, California
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 55.7
> Total sightings: 1,342 — #7 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 2,411,439

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45. Hartford County, Connecticut
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 56
> Total sightings: 500 — #47 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 893,561

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44. Montgomery County, Ohio
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 56.8
> Total sightings: 302 — #99 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 531,670

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43. Salt Lake County, Utah
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 58.4
> Total sightings: 662 — #26 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 1,133,646

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42. Washington County, Oregon
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 59
> Total sightings: 348 — #84 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 589,481

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41. Tulsa County, Oklahoma
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 60.2
> Total sightings: 389 — #72 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 646,419

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40. Ocean County, New Jersey
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 60.2
> Total sightings: 359 — #82 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 596,415

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39. Clark County, Nevada
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 61.5
> Total sightings: 1,342 — #7 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 2,182,004

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38. New Haven County, Connecticut
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 61.8
> Total sightings: 530 — #41 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 857,513

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37. Pasco County, Florida
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 63.3
> Total sightings: 332 — #92 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 524,602

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36. Lee County, Florida
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 63.5
> Total sightings: 468 — #54 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 737,468

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35. Ventura County, California
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 63.5
> Total sightings: 538 — #40 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 847,263

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34. Jefferson County, Colorado
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 63.8
> Total sightings: 367 — #79 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 574,798

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33. Volusia County, Florida
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 64.3
> Total sightings: 345 — #86 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 536,487

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32. New York County, New York
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 65.3
> Total sightings: 1,065 — #10 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 1,631,993

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31. Pinellas County, Florida
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 65.5
> Total sightings: 632 — #30 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 964,666

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30. Spokane County, Washington
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 73.4
> Total sightings: 371 — #78 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 505,505

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29. El Paso County, Colorado
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 74
> Total sightings: 517 — #43 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 698,974

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28. Arapahoe County, Colorado
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 74.3
> Total sightings: 479 — #50 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 644,560

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27. Pierce County, Washington
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 74.3
> Total sightings: 652 — #28 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 877,013

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26. Maricopa County, Arizona
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 77.2
> Total sightings: 3,343 — #2 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 4,328,810

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25. Denver County, Colorado
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 79.9
> Total sightings: 564 — #36 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 705,576

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24. King County, Washington
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 80.6
> Total sightings: 1,770 — #5 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 2,195,502

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23. Pima County, Arizona
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 81.8
> Total sightings: 840 — #13 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 1,027,207

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22. Bernalillo County, New Mexico
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 82
> Total sightings: 556 — #38 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 677,858

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21. Washoe County, Nevada
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 82.5
> Total sightings: 377 — #75 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 456,936

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20. Brevard County, Florida
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 83
> Total sightings: 486 — #48 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 585,507

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19. Sonoma County, California
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 87
> Total sightings: 435 — #61 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 499,772

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18. Bucks County, Pennsylvania
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 87.3
> Total sightings: 547 — #39 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 626,806

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17. Stanislaus County, California
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 88
> Total sightings: 478 — #51 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 543,194

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16. Marion County, Oregon
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 89.5
> Total sightings: 304 — #98 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 339,641

Clark County Courthouse (CC BY-SA 3.0) by Visitor7

15. Clark County, Washington
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 92.3
> Total sightings: 437 — #59 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 473,252

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14. Sarasota County, Florida
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 97
> Total sightings: 407 — #65 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 419,496

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13. Snohomish County, Washington
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 100.9
> Total sightings: 806 — #15 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 798,808

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12. Jackson County, Missouri
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 104
> Total sightings: 724 — #21 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 696,216

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11. Multnomah County, Oregon
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 104.3
> Total sightings: 839 — #14 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 804,606

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10. St Louis City County, Missouri
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 106.4
> Total sightings: 328 — #93 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 308,174

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9. Boulder County, Colorado
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 107.9
> Total sightings: 348 — #84 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 322,510

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8. Larimer County, Colorado
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 109.9
> Total sightings: 379 — #74 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 344,786

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7. Pinal County, Arizona
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 110
> Total sightings: 476 — #52 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 432,793

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6. Ada County, Idaho
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 111.9
> Total sightings: 511 — #45 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 456,849

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5. Lane County, Oregon
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 120
> Total sightings: 448 — #57 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 373,340

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4. Whatcom County, Washington
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 153.5
> Total sightings: 339 — #89 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 220,821

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3. Mohave County, Arizona
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 194
> Total sightings: 403 — #68 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 207,695

Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

2. Yavapai County, Arizona
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 225.8
> Total sightings: 515 — #44 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 228,067

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New Horry County Courthouse and county office complex, Conway, South Carolina (18 November 2006) by Pollinator

New Horry County Courthouse and county office complex, Conway, South Carolina (18 November 2006) (CC BY-SA 3.0) by Pollinator

1. Horry County, South Carolina
> 2001-2020 sightings per 100K: 254.1
> Total sightings: 844 — #12 out of 100 cities
> Population 2019: 332,172

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