Nevada UFO Sightings

RANK #22 NATIONALLY — 2,841 REPORTED SIGHTINGS

2,841
Total reported sightings
#22
National ranking
1 in 1,100
Approx. per capita rate
1990s
Peak reporting decade

About Nevada UAP sightings

Nevada's relationship with UAP research is inseparable from the Nevada Test and Training Range and the infamous Groom Lake facility in the Tikaboo Valley. While many Nevada sightings near the test range are plausibly related to classified aircraft programs — the U-2, SR-71, B-2, and F-117 were all tested here — the sheer volume and variety of reports suggests a phenomenon extending beyond any single explanation.

Nellis AFB in Las Vegas is home to some of the most advanced fighter and adversarial training operations in the world. The NTTR encompasses nearly three million acres of restricted airspace — the largest in the United States — and is home to classified programs whose characteristics may appear extraordinary to external observers.

The Rachel, Nevada corridor on State Route 375 (the Extraterrestrial Highway) draws researchers and witnesses from around the world. The town of Rachel, with fewer than 100 permanent residents, generates a disproportionate number of credible reports from dedicated sky watchers.

Contributing factors

  • Nevada Test and Training Range — restricted airspace
  • Groom Lake — classified aircraft test operations
  • Nellis AFB — USAF Warfare Center
  • Las Vegas lights (misidentification factor)
  • Extraterrestrial Highway SR-375 corridor
  • High per-capita rate

Shape breakdown — Nevada

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

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

Recent UAP news — Nevada

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

Frequently asked questions — Nevada

Nevada has 2,841 reported UFO and UAP sightings on record, ranking #22 nationally. The data is sourced from peer-reviewed academic research geocoding historical NUFORC reports through 2023. This represents reported sightings, not verified encounters.
Nevada 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 Nevada.
Sightings from Nevada 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: California: 17,061 | Arizona: 5,001 | Utah: 2,234

Witnessed something unexplained in Nevada?

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