UFO sightings in Iowa
There are 44 civilian UFO sighting reports from Iowa in the NUFORC data on this site, dated 1965 to 2013. The busiest year was 2013, with 8 reports. The shapes witnesses reported most were orb (13), triangle (12) and sphere (9).
Most reports come from Des Moines (5), Cedar Rapids (4) and Waterloo (4), out of 28 places in the state with at least one report.
UFO sightings by city in Iowa
Places with at least three reports. 24 other places in Iowa have one or two.
Recent sighting reports from Iowa
All 44 reports, newest first.
- 25 Oct 2013 · 22:15WaukeeSphere· 7 min
Multiple bright yellow-red circular lights sighted travelling SW to NE over Waukee towards Des Moines.
Show on map Large low-flying craft with orb like lights in a cross shape.
Show on mapTriangular aircraft with yellow and red lights.
Show on map- 13 Oct 2013 · 23:30SheldonSphere· 5 min
Ashton, Iowa sighting.
Show on map - 13 Oct 2013 · 18:57Council BluffsFormation· 8 min
3 bright white amber lights forming a perfect triangle and moving into an arch without a vapor trail.
Show on map - 13 Oct 2013 · 18:57Council BluffsOrb· 8 min
Three white orange lights in the Western sky that formed a triangle then moved into a line before disappearing.
Show on map - 11 Oct 2013 · 06:13AnkenySphere· 2 min
Two slow moving star-like objects suddenly accelerated to light speed heading towards Jupiter
Show on map My girlfriend and I witnessed a bright orange triangular light in the sky.
Show on map- 16 Oct 2012 · 15:30BurlingtonTriangle· 6 min
10-23-2012 Burlington Iowa multiple traingular and saucer shape ufos seen over Mississippi river on 10-16-2012 at 15:30
Show on map An object in the sky moved gradually, hovering at times, flashing red, blue and white lights for 30 + minutes, 2 nights in a row.
Show on map- 2 Oct 2012 · 21:15ClintonSphere· 10 min
Non flashing orange lights going westward across Clinton Iowa making no sound
Show on map I was watching a hawk fly around and a round shinny object caught my eye. it was thousands of feet up. It was traveling north to south
Show on mapfive bright yellow lights leading huge craft
Show on mapThree bright lights in the sky in the shape of a triangle
Show on mapAn unexplained, unidentified flying object.
Show on mapBright orange orb quickly passing close by without sound.
Show on mapOrange orb came close.
Show on mapSingle light multiplied then came together as a diamond then became one and disappeared.
Show on map- 20 Oct 2009 · 23:00OttumwaOrb· 5 min
flashing light
Show on map Red light dimming in and out across the clear night sky.
Show on map- 15 Oct 2008 · 21:00Hancock CountyBoomerang· 1 min
About 7 lights in a V pattern moving across sky heading north, no sound, lots of other aircraft in the area after the lights left
Show on map - 2 Oct 2008 · 20:00MarshalltownTriangle· 5 s
October 2, 2008 just after 8 p.m. Marshalltown, Iowa, saw a black triangular shaped object, with round green lights in V pattern
Show on map - 25 Oct 2007 · 22:30MarionOrb· 15 min
I was outside smoking a cigarette. I looked over to the field across the street. I saw the first object and thought maybe it's jus
Show on map - 24 Oct 2006 · 22:00Fort DodgeTriangle· 30 s
Iowa UFO invasion!
Show on map - 1 Oct 2006 · 17:00AlgonaOther· 1 h
6 people saw 2 objects in the sky that had lights and were flying in zig-zag patterns in the sky while staying in the same area.
Show on map - 27 Oct 2005 · 00:00GliddenTriangle· 5 h
((NUFORC Note: PSmall blinking color changing moving lights.
Show on map - 11 Oct 2005 · 21:00Wall LakeOrb· 10 s
strange shit in the sky in sac county iowa.
Show on map Seen from 29ꯠ ft-- two "stars" stared moving, parallel to one another, and abruptly stopped 15 sec. later. Faded out.
Show on map- 19 Oct 2002 · 00:34Story CityTriangle· 5 s
Green triangle craft dropped out the sky and dissappeared.
Show on map Red ball of light plummits towards ground and dissapears.
Show on map- 10 Oct 2001 · 21:15OttumwaRectangle· 5 min
We saw a square object at night, which had 2 blue & 2 red lights at corners, hovering in sky above us.
Show on map - 10 Oct 2001 · 03:00Rockwell CityTriangle· 4 min
Large,silent,slow,low to the ground dull-black Triangle UFO with round red lights at it's corners that were off .I drew it.
Show on map - 20 Oct 2000 · 21:00West BranchAmorphous· 10 min
Strange Shape-Changing Object over rural Iowa
Show on map 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
Show on map- 24 Oct 1999 · 06:00Iowa CitySphere· 3 min
round white ball beyond treetops straight north moving ENE fluctuating
Show on map - 26 Oct 1998 · 24:00SpencerOrb· 4 s
Traveling north on US Highway 71 at approx. 2am on the north edge of Spencer. Saw blueish green fireball traveling west to east. Had r
Show on map - 23 Oct 1998 · 19:00HumestonSphere· 2 min
hovering objects sighted in iowa.
Show on map - 18 Oct 1998 · 04:30BettendorfSphere· 7 min
SOFT BALL SIZE FLOATING BALL OF LIGHT. APPEARED TO BE UNDER SOME TYPE OF CONTROL.
Show on map - 2 Oct 1998 · 19:55BettendorfOrb· 1 min
Heavy Blue Light beamed down and chased family in house, simular to 50 foot wide search light.
Show on map - 1 Oct 1998 · 21:00ClarindaTriangle· 1 min
silent and large UFO just above tree tops.
Show on map - 1 Oct 1995 · 12:00Iowa CityOther· 20 s
Man witnesses 2 "white" aircraft rendezvous at high altitude, fly toward bizarre obj. approaching very fast. Obj. "sparkled."
Show on map A formation of approx. 16 round fire orange guided craft entered the western sky at "10 o'clock" attitude. As I was watching the clear
Show on map- 1 Oct 1966 · 22:30AnamosaOther· 1 min
large quiet craft, covered with blackness, and "stars" to not be noticed, moving slowly southwest to north north east.
Show on map - 15 Oct 1965 · 21:00TaborDisc· 45 min
Craft hovers noiselessly over witnesses in 1965, in Southwest Iowa, is photographed by 2 photographers, photos stolen later.
Show on map
Where these reports come from
Reports are from the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) public database: what members of the public said they saw, in their own words. Nobody has checked them, and most sightings have ordinary explanations.