State Profile

Minnesota UFO Sightings

RANK #23 NATIONALLY — 2,567 REPORTED SIGHTINGS

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2,567
Total reported sightings
#23
National ranking
1 in 2,200
Approx. per capita rate
2000s
Peak reporting decade

About Minnesota UAP sightings

Minnesota's vast lake country and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area provide exceptional dark-sky observation conditions. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the 148th Fighter Wing at Duluth ANGB contribute military air traffic.

The Canadian border region shows elevated rural reporting rates, and Minnesota's extensive Iron Range communities — accustomed to working outdoors in remote areas — produce consistent quality reports. The state's large Scandinavian-descended population and culturally pragmatic approach to reporting anomalous events may contribute to report quality.

Superior National Forest and the Quetico-Superior wilderness produce consistent orb and structured craft reports from canoe country visitors during summer months.

Contributing factors

  • Minneapolis-Saint Paul ANG
  • 148th Fighter Wing — Duluth ANGB
  • Boundary Waters Canoe Area dark skies
  • Superior National Forest wilderness
  • Iron Range remote communities

Shape breakdown — Minnesota

Consistent with national patterns, Minnesota witnesses most frequently report orb and light phenomena, followed by triangular and disc-shaped objects.

Orb / Light
38%
Explore →
Triangle
16%
Explore →
Disc
14%
Explore →
Cigar
8%
Other
24%

Recent UAP news — Minnesota

Multiple witnesses in Minnesota file reports with NUFORC — pattern under review
NUFORC — 2026
Trump declassification order expected to surface files related to Minnesota military installations
Defense reporting — March 2026
AARO database includes cases from Minnesota in latest review cycle
Pentagon AARO — 2025

Frequently asked questions — Minnesota

Minnesota has 2,567 reported UFO and UAP sightings on record, ranking #23 nationally. The data is sourced from peer-reviewed academic research geocoding historical NUFORC reports through 2023. This represents reported sightings, not verified encounters.
Minnesota has produced notable sighting reports over the decades. The state's military installations and geographic characteristics have contributed to a consistent and varied reporting history. See the contributing factors section above for details specific to Minnesota.
Sightings from Minnesota can be reported to NUFORC at nuforc.org or MUFON at mufon.com. Both maintain state-level investigators. See our reporting guide for more information.

Neighboring states

Sighting counts: Wisconsin: 3,234 | Iowa: 2,654

North Dakota South Dakota Iowa Wisconsin Michigan

Witnessed something unexplained in Minnesota?

Report your sighting to an established civilian organization. Your report contributes to the public record.

Report to NUFORC → Report to MUFON →