Arizona is known to be a UFO hotspot, and a new interactive map showing it as one of the states with most UFO sightings confirms it.

UFOs have been part of the state’s folktales for a long time, with some of the most infamous ones making headlines and video highlights across the nation. The map from the National UFO Reporting Center, which allows people to explore when and where people report UFO sightings shows these events are a common thing in the state.

Arizona appears to have the fourth most reported UFO sightings of all Arizona states, according to the map.

By clicking on the dots on the map, people can see a description of the reported sightings in that location. The green dots are recent reports. Most of the reports come from the United States, as that is where the reporting center is based.

“UFOs are seen literally everywhere, and that the distribution of sighting reports closely matches the distribution of the population,” the organization said in a news release announcing the new map.

The reporting center said it plans to add new features to the new map in the future to improve user experience.

State breakdown of UFO sightings

• Alaska: 642
• Alabama: 1,403
• Arkansas: 1,289
• Arizona: 4,981
• California: 16,238
• Colorado: 3,281
• Connecticut: 2,033
• Delaware: 419
• Florida: 8,303
• Georgia: 2,730
• Hawaii: 672
• Iowa: 1,225
• Idaho: 1,357
• Illinois: 4,298
• Indiana: 2,732
• Kansas: 1,191
• Kentucky: 1,689
• Louisiana: 1,127
• Massachusetts: 2,709
• Maryland: 1,856
• Maine: 1,189
• Michigan: 3,668
• Minnesota: 2,111
• Missouri: 2,813
• Mississippi: 788
• Montana: 1,004
• North Carolina: 3,679
• North Dakota: 277
• Nebraska: 701
• New Hampshire: 1,196
• New Jersey: 2,894
• New Mexico: 1,672
• Nevada: 1,703
• New York: 5,900
• Ohio: 4,466
• Oklahoma: 1,501
• Oregon: 3,561
• Pennsylvania: 5,047
• Rhode Island: 599
• South Carolina: 2,246
• South Dakota: 396
• Tennessee: 2,315
• Texas: 6,202
• Utah: 1,528
• Virginia: 2,705
• Vermont: 610
• Washington: 7,230
• Wisconsin: 2,453
• West Virginia: 907
• Wyoming: 416
• Unspecified: 115

Phoenix Lights: The Valley’s most famous UFO story

Metro Phoenix’s most famous UFO story

On March 13, 1997, what is considered to be Arizona’s most infamous UFO story happened.

On a mild springlike evening the string of amber orbs appeared as if by magic, a celestial sleight of hand that would in the coming weeks make headlines across the nation.

Although little more than an atmospheric curiosity at the time, the hovering and evenly spaced balls of light would soon become known as the Phoenix Lights.

Those who accepted the explanation that it was military flares dismissed the controversy with logical precision, while people who saw it as an otherworldly encounter claimed the truth has been shrouded in lies and disinformation.

In the ensuing years, the Phoenix Lights would change outlooks, minds and even a few lives. What hasn’t changed is the mystery that still hovers.

Lynne Kitei, a Phoenix resident, could barely believe what she saw when she witnessed and recorded the lights, six evenly spaced orbs moving in a direct line over Phoenix.

Kitei, who worked as a physician at the Arizona Heart Institute, dedicated herself to investigating the phenomenon after this experience and eventually resigned from her medical career to devote herself to researching and discussing the Phoenix Lights full-time.

Over seven years, Kitei compiled extensive notes and interviews, eventually publishing a book detailing her findings. Yet, she didn’t find a definitive answer to the lights’ origin other than educated speculation.

“It’s never been about me; it’s about the data,” Kitei said. “To present it I had to come forward, to tell people what I know.”

The sighting, witnessed by hundreds if not thousands, prompted widespread speculation and media attention. Even government officials became involved, though their responses ranged from ridicule to dismissal.

While the military eventually attributed the lights to flares dropped during training exercises, some remain skeptical of this explanation, including Kitei and other experts who analyzed the footage. The enduring mystery of the Phoenix Lights continues to intrigue and divide opinions, leaving questions unanswered about what truly occurred that night.

Former Republic reporter Scott Craven contributed to this article.