Apparently, One of America's Busiest Cities Just Became an Official UFO Hotspot
If you've ever looked up at the Los Angeles sky and spotted something that made you do a double-take, you're not alone (maybe in more ways than one). According to the NY Post, a new analysis of data from the National UFO Reporting Center shows that Los Angeles ranks fifth among U.S. cities for UFO sightings, with 211 documented reports since 2015. To put that in perspective, only Phoenix (272), New York City (266), Las Vegas (250), and Portland (218) report higher numbers. And the sightings just keep happening.
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What Angelenos Are Actually Witnessing
The reports aren't just internet rumors. In 2025, the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) recorded 14 sightings in LA that couldn't be immediately explained, and 2026 has already brought three new reports, though one was later identified as a drone.
In one NUFORC report from 2025, a witness reported seeing a pale spherical object roughly the size of a compact car moving in unusual patterns "going up and down and sideways slowly," while bystanders stood in awe.
But the March Hollywood incident is where things get truly bizarre. Two observers from a third-floor balcony witnessed what they described as an intensely bright object, "almost like a second sun," with no visible structure, just concentrated light.
In the NUFORC report, the witnesses claim "it suddenly accelerated horizontally to the right and exited the visible area extremely quickly. The motion covered roughly three finger-widths at arm's length in about one second."
While L.A. came in fifth place, it was beaten out by four other cities with varying levels of light pollution:
- Phoenix, Arizona, with 272 sightings
- New York City has 266 sightings
- Las Vegas, with 250 sightings
- Portland, Oregon, with 218 sightings
A 2022 incident in Glendale also saw multiple people describe a shiny, ball-shaped object darting unpredictably through the daytime sky before suddenly accelerating to extreme speed.
Apparently, November emerged as LA's busiest month for sightings, suggesting a seasonal pattern to the activity.
The study dropped the same day the Pentagon released over 160 classified UFO files. The timing feels like more than a coincidence-it signals that UFO sightings have officially crossed over from conspiracy theory territory into mainstream conversation.
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This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 4:14 PM.