Washington UFO Hot Spot Overview: Seattle Area, Washington (2000-2023)

📍 Location

📝 Description

Washington remains a leading U.S. hotspot for UFO/UAP reporting, with Seattle repeatedly identified as a top metro area by NUFORC-derived data. The best city-level figure published to date covers 2000–2023: Seattle averaged 86.5 UFO sightings per 100,000 residents, well above the national average (~34 per 100,000). Washington state has also been described as a top per-capita reporting state in multiple analyses (e.g., ~88 per 100k for 2000–2021; WA ranked near the top in per-capita counts in later discussions). In 2024, Axios highlighted Seattle as a per-capita hotspot based on NUFORC data; Seattle Magazine (2024) reported Washington as No. 2 in overall UFO reporting since 1974. NUFORC’s 2025 tallies show continued nationwide activity, with thousands of reports year-to-date, but city-specific Seattle per-capita updates for 2024–2025 were not re-published. The overall picture remains that Seattle and Washington state are among the most active UAP-reporting regions in the U.S., though the vast majority of reports remain unexplained or unverified.

🔍 Circumstances

Data are drawn from the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) database and normalized per capita using U.S. Census population figures. The Seattle figure (86.5 per 100k) covers 2000–2023; statewide rankings reflect per-capita reporting across Washington. Reports are self-submitted and not confirmed as extraterrestrial activity; many reports are later identified as balloons, drones, aircraft, or natural phenomena.

👤 Physical Description

No single object; reports describe a variety of phenomena (lights, orbs, disks, flashing or changing formations). There is no consistent physical description across all Seattle-area sightings.

ℹ️ Additional Details

Key sources include NUFORC data cited by Axios (Seattle per-capita rate of 86.5 sightings per 100k from 2000–2023) and related coverage noting Washington's high per-capita standing (e.g., ~88 per 100k for 2000–2021; WA rankings in per-capita sightings). Additional context from WA-focused outlets notes WA as a top state for sightings and national coverage of ongoing NUFORC tallies (2025) showing continued activity. Limitations include underreporting and misidentifications; per-capita rates depend on who reports and on population baselines.

🔗 Sources (7)

👥 Community Contributions

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