Editor's Note: the Almanac includes the following as speculation (or imagination) - not as established historical fact. We feature these and other stories in Mysterious L.A. as a part of the cultural fabric of Los Angeles County.
Since 1974, the National UFO Reporting Center has collected reports of possible UFO sightings from across the United States and provided summaries of these to the public. The non-profit organization was founded in Seattle by UFO investigator Robert J. Gribble. Its purpose is “to receive, record, and to the greatest degree possible, corroborate and document reports from individuals who have been witness to unusual, possibly UFO-related events.” The center has taken reports primarily by its telephone hotline, operated 24 hours daily, almost continuously since it was opened. Government and law enforcement agencies (such as FAA, National Weather Service offices, the U.S. military, NASA, and local emergency dispatch centers) are said to routinely refer callers from the public to its hotline with reports of possible UFO sightings.
The center says that it distinguishes its operations from other UFO monitoring organizations by providing summaries of its data to the public. Those determined by the center to be experienced UFO investigators are granted access to more detailed data.
With Los Angeles County in mind, the Almanac reviewed the center’s summarized reports from 1942 through mid-September 2021. Since 1942, 14,980 sightings had been reported in California and, of these, we found at least 2,970 in Los Angeles County. The number of sightings in L.A. County, broken down by community where pinpointed, are shown in the table below. For many reports since 2014, comments in the report note that the sighting might have actually been of Starlink satellites (a network of 1,600 SpaceX satellites that provide global internet access). We also noticed that, besides the obvious larger numbers reported for the county's most populated cities (Los Angeles, Long Beach, Burbank), there were also relatively large numbers of sightings reported in the medium-sized communities of Whittier and Lawndale.
As for the question of whether UFOs actually do visit the Los Angeles area, the question to us is - if we were visiting Earth from another planet, why would we not want to visit Los Angeles?
Also see: Underwater Alien Base Off the Coast of Malibu?
Reports for 1942 through October, 2024
Community | Reported UFO Sightings | Period of Reports |
---|---|---|
Acton | 11 | 1994 - 2023 |
Agoura Hills | 10 | 2004 - 2017 |
Agua Dulce | 2 | 2001 - 2005 |
Alhambra | 18 | 1977 - 2020 |
Altadena | 9 | 2003 - 2023 |
Angeles National Forest (San Gabriel Mountains) | 6 | 1975 - 2004 |
Antelope Acres | 1 | 2006 |
Antelope Valley | 2 | 1995 - 2017 |
Arcadia | 19 | 1988 - 2019 |
Arleta | 4 | 1977 - 2020 |
Artesia | 2 | 1980 - 2004 |
Arts District (Los Angeles) | 1 | 2017 |
Atwater Village | 1 | 2004 |
Avalon | 7 | 2002 - 2016 |
Avocado Heights | 1 | 2015 |
Azusa | 22 | 1967 - 2023 |
Baldwin Hills | 3 | 2022 |
Baldwin Park | 13 | 1958 - 2020 |
Bell | 2 | 1976 - 2009 |
Bell Gardens | 2 | 2002 - 2021 |
Bellflower | 13 | 1996 - 2012 |
Beverly Hills | 11 | 1997 - 2022 |
Boyle Heights | 1 | 2015 |
Brentwood | 1 | 2012 |
Burbank | 110 | 1981 - 2022 |
Calabasas | 14 | 1989 - 2020 |
Canoga Park | 21 | 1966 - 2022 |
Newhall (Santa Clarita) | 10 | 2004 - 2022 |
Carson | 16 | 1978 - 2020 |
Castaic | 8 | 1993 - 2019 |
Catalina Island | 5 | 1992 - 2020 |
Cerritos | 13 | 1975 - 2020 |
Chatsworth | 23 | 1978 - 2023 |
Commerce, City of | 32 | 1969 - 2013 |
Claremont | 29 | 1974 - 2023 |
Compton | 16 | 1954 - 2023 |
Covina | 34 | 1955 - 2022 |
Cudahy | 1 | 2007 |
Culver City | 23 | 1965 - 2023 |
Diamond Bar | 14 | 1977 - 2023 |
Downey | 30 | 1967 - 2021 |
Downtown Los Angeles | 12 | 1976 - 2017 |
Duarte | 10 | 1992 - 2023 |
Eagle Rock | 8 | 2001 - 2017 |
East Los Angeles | 14 | 1957 - 2020 |
Edwards AFB | 11 | 1981 - 2008 |
El Monte | 15 | 1975 - 2020 |
El Segundo | 10 | 1994 - 2016 |
Encino | 14 | 1996 - 2023 |
Gardena | 14 | 1996 - 2021 |
Glassell Park | 1 | 2006 |
Glendale | 44 | 1993 - 2021 |
Glendora | 18 | 1973 - 2020 |
Gorman | 3 | 1993 - 1997 |
Granada Hills | 10 | 1962 - 2022 |
Hacienda Heights | 5 | 2002 - 2018 |
Harbor City | 6 | 2000 - 2011 |
Hawthorne | 19 | 1954 - 2019 |
Hermosa Beach | 12 | 1967 - 2019 |
Highland Park | 4 | 1999 - 2015 |
Hollywood | 44 | 1968 - 2023 |
Huntington Park | 6 | 1978 - 2020 |
Industry, City of | 4 | 2006 - 2019 |
Inglewood | 11 | 1995 - 2020 |
Irwindale | 4 | 1998 - 2023 |
Koreatown | 1 | 1991 |
La Cañada Flintridge | 7 | 1963-2016 |
La Crescenta-Montrose | 11 | 1977 - 2017 |
La Mirada | 16 | 1961 - 2013 |
La Puente | 17 | 1966 - 2016 |
La Verne | 9 | 1960 - 2020 |
Lake Hughes | 2 | 2016 - 2022 |
Lake Los Angeles | 2 | 2017 - 2019 |
Lake View Terrace | 1 | 2009 |
Lakewood | 27 | 1975 - 2019 |
Lancaster | 53 | 1961 - 2023 |
Lawndale | 8 | 1968 - 2015 |
Lennox | 1 | 2014 |
Lincoln Heights | 4 | 2009 - 2009 |
Littlerock | 13 | 2009 - 2022 |
Llano | 2 | 1996 - 2014 |
Lomita | 3 | 1979 - 2011 |
Long Beach | 155 | 1957 - 2024 |
Los Angeles | 578 | 1942 - 2024 |
Los Angeles International Airport | 4 | 1999 - 2001 |
Los Feliz | 3 | 2010 - 2018 |
Lynwood | 5 | 2009 - 2022 |
Malibu | 38 | 1966 - 2023 |
Manhattan Beach | 18 | 1993 - 2021 |
Mar Vista | 2 | 2006 - 2020 |
Marina del Rey | 23 | 1998 - 2022 |
Maywood | 9 | 1947 - 2016 |
Mid-City (Los Angeles) | 2 | 2002 - 2012 |
Mission Hills | 5 | 1998 - 2012 |
Monrovia | 20 | 1988 - 2023 |
Monte Nido | 1 | 2007 |
Montebello | 25 | 1997 - 2020 |
Monterey Park | 10 | 1971 - 2019 |
Mount Washington | 1 | 2017 |
Mount Wilson | 1 | 1979 |
Mt. Baldy | 1 | 2006 |
Newhall (Santa Clarita) | 8 | 1976 - 2017 |
North Hills | 4 | 2001 - 2011 |
North Hollywood | 55 | 1954 - 2022 |
North Long Beach | 1 | 2012 |
Northridge | 20 | 1993 - 2022 |
Norwalk | 35 | 1957 - 2023 |
Pacific Palisades | 12 | 1976 - 2023 |
Pacoima | 7 | 1983 - 2015 |
Palmdale | 64 | 1960 - 2024 |
Palos Verdes Estates | 4 | 2002 - 2016 |
Palos Verdes Peninsula | 7 | 1971 - 2011 |
Panorama City | 8 | 1987 - 2023 |
Paramount | 14 | 2004 - 2024 |
Pasadena | 60 | 1954 - 2023 |
Pearblossom | 3 | 2003 - 2014 |
Pico Rivera | 23 | 1997 - 2019 |
Playa del Rey | 20 | 1966 - 2022 |
Playa Vista | 3 | 2014 - 2019 |
Pomona | 41 | 1968 - 2024 |
Quartz Hill | 2 | 1955 - 1996 |
Rancho Palos Verdes | 17 | 1979 - 2022 |
Redondo Beach | 42 | 1978 - 2024 |
Reseda | 28 | 1958 - 2022 |
Rolling Hills | 1 | 2009 |
Rolling Hills Estates | 1 | 2018 |
Rosemead | 11 | 1968 - 2020 |
Rowland Heights | 3 | 1999 - 2008 |
San Dimas | 18 | 2001 - 2023 |
San Fernando | 13 | 1965 - 2018 |
San Fernando Valley | 15 | 1998 - 2015 |
San Gabriel | 11 | 1975 - 2017 |
San Gabriel Valley | 3 | 2000 - 2014 |
San Pedro | 42 | 1987 - 2023 |
Santa Clarita | 46 | 1978 - 2024 |
Santa Fe Springs | 10 | 2006 - 2023 |
Santa Monica | 71 | 1976 - 2024 |
Santa Monica Mountains | 69 | 2002 |
Santa Clarita | 1 | 2002 |
Sherman Oaks | 44 | 1994 - 2023 |
Sierra Madre | 6 | 1989 - 2022 |
Signal Hill | 4 | 2013 - 2020 |
Silverlake | 3 | 2005 - 2016 |
South El Monte | 5 | 2004 - 2018 |
South Gate | 21 | 1952 - 2023 |
South Los Angeles | 1 | 2015 |
South Pasadena | 11 | 1999 - 2019 |
Stevenson Ranch | 4 | 2009 - 2020 |
Studio City | 24 | 1965 - 2023 |
Sun Valley | 6 | 2009 - 2017 |
Sunland-Tujunga | 20 | 1951 - 2023 |
Sylmar | 17 | 1997 - 2021 |
Tarzana | 13 | 1991 - 2022 |
Temple City | 14 | 1957 - 2021 |
Toluca Lake | 3 | 2003 - 2015 |
Topanga | 5 | 2004 - 2016 |
Torrance | 55 | 1965 - 2023 |
Universal City | 3 | 2003 - 2015 |
Val Verde | 1 | 2008 |
Valencia (Santa Clarita) | 24 | 1974 - 2021 |
Valley Glen | 2 | 2012 - 2020 |
Van Nuys | 46 | 1974 - 2020 |
Venice | 35 | 1999 - 2023 |
Walnut | 6 | 2000 - 2017 |
Watts | 3 | 2006 |
West Carson | 1 | 1982 |
West Covina | 21 | 1955 - 2020 |
West Hills | 12 | 1994 - 2020 |
West Hollywood | 14 | 1997 - 2022 |
West Los Angeles | 12 | 1965 - 2020 |
Westchester | 2 | 2010 - 2014 |
Westlake Village | 10 | 2000 - 2022 |
Westwood | 2 | 2014 |
Whittier | 69 | 1965 - 2023 |
Wilmington | 22 | 1952 - 2021 |
Winnetka | 4 | 2002 - 2011 |
Woodland Hills | 30 | 1965 - 2021 |
Source: National UFO Reporting Center.