The National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) has been documenting UFO sightings since its founding in 1974. NUFORC has recorded around 90,000 sightings, of which almost 95% have been explained as military tests, weather balloons, or other terrestrial activity. NUFORC’s 24/7 hotline has been active since 1974 and the dataset includes reports dating back to 1400. Using this data, Stacker compiled a list of the states with the most reported UFO sightings. It is noteworthy that almost three-quarters of all UFO sightings in the US occur between 4 p.m. and midnight, with a peak between 9 and 10 p.m. For each state, Stacker has also included famous UFO sightings reported in that state.

Louisiana has had 763 UFO sightings. Visitors to the state may want to visit the Abita Mystery House in Abita Springs for a chance to see the UFO crash site. Shreveport‘s proximity to Barksdale Air Force Base has led to many sightings, often caused by military exercises and tests that are misconstrued by civilians.

The first documented image of a UFO was captured in 1870 on the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. More sightings occurred at Mount Rainier in Washington in 1947, and of course several in Roswell, New Mexico. Since then, numerous unusual shapes in the sky, and their supposed inhabitants, have been exhaustively reported without sufficient explanations beyond the possible existence of extraterrestrial life.

A surge in eyewitness accounts has led to attempts to protect against invasions and abductions. More than 40,000 Americans have bought alien protection insurance, which offers monetary relief should a loved one get abducted by aliens. A 1991 Roper Poll suggested that around 4 million Americans believe they’ve been abducted by aliens.

The official stance of the U.S. government has been that claims of alien life stem from hoaxes or misidentifications of objects such as weather balloons. A highly anticipated U.S. intelligence report on UFOs is due to be released to Congress on June 25, but leaks suggest that the official ruling will be that no evidence of alien life has been found but can’t be ruled out.

California has the highest number of UFO sightings with 10,333, followed by Florida with 5,826 and Washington with 4,351. Meanwhile, Washington, D.C. has the fewest

(Mason in the Morning)