Below is a compilation of information on UFO hotspots in the USA from many sources. The object is to give those interested the best chance of viewing this phenomena. Although sightings occur all over our country all the time, there seem to be pockets of intense activity. Obviously there will be more sightings in populated areas and down stretches of major highways -- more people, more sightings. There is also evidence that over half of these sightings are being viewed by multiple witnesses, supporting the idea that this phenomenon is not a figment of someone's imagination.

Here are some statistics from research done over a ten-year period by many groups. There is factoring-in of the unknown number of cases of truly mistaken sightings. I also used the online CUFOS database and a report from NSCR giving mainly information retrieved from MUFON records. Because this article was written in 2001, some of these sites may have cooled or gone cold.

For an interesting up-to-date, state-by-state and dated list of sighting reports, try http://www.nuforc.org/webreports/ndxloc.html For a study of the top 300 hotspots done in 2005, try http://ufoinfo.com/onthisday/hotspots/northamerica.html This study clearly pegs Colorado as the leading state for hotspots. In general, studies found that UFOs like military installations and nuclear facilities.

Below is a chart done by the J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies, Chicago, Illinois showing the density of UFO reports for each state. Just another guide for intergalactic tourism.




BEST MONTHS: March and September (and January coming in close)
WORST MONTH: June
BEST DAY: Wednesday
BEST TIME: around 9:00pm, consistently for over 50 years of tracking (with 3:00am coming in second).


THE HOTTEST TOWNS OR CITIES
Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska -- Anchorage is southeast, near the water. Fairbanks is a little north of there. Hot since 1950.

Gulf Breeze, Florida -- This has been all over "Sightings" and on the specials on TV. You used to be able to go to the beach on the Gulf panhandle near Pensacola and be entertained for hours by all the lights moving about. Sort of a paranormal 4th of July. It was a nightly event.

Corydon, Indiana -- This has been listed in one resource over a long time as being a top sight. It is a small town just west of Louisville, KY in the southern part of the state. There is a lot of activity in Indiana.

Anza Valley, California -- I am assuming this is just east of San Diego.

Elk River, Minnesota -- Just to the north and west of Minneapolis, another little town.

Lincolnton, North Carolina -- Here is yet another little hamlet just outside of Charlotte to the northeast.

Pine Bush, New York -- This teeny town of about 1500 is located in southern NY state just north east of Middletown.

North Bergen, New Jersey -- Situated on the Hudson river directly opposite New York City, this small city has experienced over 7,000 sightings over a 5 year period.

Albuquerque and Midway, New Mexico -- Albuquerque is in the center of the state. Spots are in and around that area. Since 1994, Midway has been hot. Right outside of the infamous Roswell, NM in the southeast part of the state.

HOT AREAS IN KEY STATES
Alaska -- Anchorage is heavy near the sea with Seward along with Fairbanks to the north. One man says that on any given night you can see UFOs over Seward even "better than Gulf Breeze," Florida. These areas are on the southern coast near Canada.

Colorado -- This is the San Luis Valley area in the south central area SW of Colorado Springs, especially from Saguache south east to Interstate 25. This is a really heavy location.

Florida -- There is a triangle running from Orlando to Tampa Bay with the north apex equidistant, in the middle of nowhere. Also scattered anywhere from Jacksonville to Miami straight down the east coast (they seem to like the beach!) There are a few for the millionaire's haven, Boca Raton, including an episode of missing time from one observer.

Indiana -- For some reason they like Indiana a lot. There is heavy activity from Evansville area up through Bloomington to Indianapolis and from there up to South Bend. If you follow that line, you will see the main UFO trail emerge. Other areas are up by Lake Michigan and down by Richmond, near the Ohio border. Of all the states, Indiana has the most number of different places where re-occurring sightings occur.

Washington -- If you take and draw a ring around the Puget Sound area (there's that water thing again), you will hit pay dirt. That's the main area. Then there is a section in Wahkiakum County in the SW corner, just over the border from Oregon. There is also an area in and around the Yakima Indian Reservation outside Yakima, especially at Trout Lake and around Mount Adams.

California -- Besides down by San Diego and L.A., there is a stretch that leads from San Francisco north and east to the center of the state, then following north almost to the border of Oregon. Mostly following route 5, I would say.

North Carolina -- I've mentioned the Lincolntown area. Then there is a line from Winston-Salem curving south to beyond Rocky Mount.

Oklahoma -- From Tulsa to Oklahoma City and just south of there. Also, NW of Dodge City, Lane County receives a lot of activity for the sparseness of the population.

Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire -- If you draw a line from the south east border of RI and go up to Concord, New Hampshire, there are spots all along there. Rockingham County in southeastern New Hampshire has a lot of sightings.

New Jersey -- Around northeast Jersey and New York City, which would make sense considering the numbers of people populating that area. But there is also some activity down the coast.

Pennsylvania -- I already mentioned this. In and around Pittsburgh and over to Johnstown it's heavy.

Michigan -- In a line leading from Pontiac up through Flint and to the Saginaw Bay. Then there is some sporadic activity up and down the coast of Lake Michigan and along highway 131 north of Grand Rapids. This next one is from Paul Wilson, who has a site devoted to Michigan sightings: The area around Grand Rapids to Grand Haven and Muskegon, running north to Traverse City Michigan. There was a well know outbreak here about 6 years ago (the famous National Weather Service tape on Coast to Coast, the Art Bell radio show), and sightings have continued often since then.

Minnesota and Wisconsin -- All around the Minneapolis and St. Paul area and particularly Pepin County, WI just over the Minnesota border.

Missouri -- Mostly in the western part of the state in a rough line from Springfield up to St. Joseph. Also particularly, Knox County, another sparsely populated area in the extreme NE section of the state.

Ohio -- Mostly around the Cincinnati area, but there is a trail leading from there, northeast to Columbus and up to Akron.

Illinois -- Has a few from St, Louis up the center of the state to Rockford, which is quite hot. Rockford just had a sighting of abut a dozen UFO's over the city, January of 2001.

Montana -- Almost exactly center-state, west of Butte, from Judith Basin County southeast into Wheatland County. There are some others, but this is the heaviest.

West Virginia -- This sort of goes with the Ohio area because it is so close to the border. But there is a lot of activity in rural Mason County, NW of Charleston.

Nellis Air Force Range, Nevada -- This large area just northwest of Las Vegas has long been frequented by extremely strange phenomena. This is the home of the now famous "secret" Area 51 at Groom Lake, inside the base.

Uinita Basin, Utah -- Just east of Salt Lake City, the focal point of activity here has been the "Bigelow Ranch," in Duchesne, which was recently acquired by financier Robert Bigelow for the purposes of UFO research. There have been consistent sightings and strange happenings there since 1950.