Surged, fell, climbing again
Drone reports near aircraft peaked in Q2 '21 at 957 in a single quarter, eased through the mid-2020s, and have turned back up - the most recent quarter, Q2 '26, logged 600. The three shaded gaps are quarters the FAA created a page for but never posted the file.
Where the drones get reported
Raw counts just restate the census - California, Florida and Texas top the list because that is where the people and the big airports are. Divide by residents and the map redraws itself: the District of Columbia reports drones near aircraft far more often per person than any state, with Nevada, Florida and Arizona close behind. This map is shaded per capita; the table keeps both.
- 7.8-17.8
- 17.8-24.7
- 24.7-36
- 36-295.8
- n/a
State table - the ranked source of truth
| Most per capita | Per M | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 295.8 | 204 |
| Nevada | 66 | 205 |
| Florida | 65.1 | 1,402 |
| Arizona | 57.2 | 409 |
| Alaska | 54.5 | 40 |
| Colorado | 47.8 | 276 |
| Most reports | Reports | Per M |
|---|---|---|
| California | 1,620 | 41 |
| Florida | 1,402 | 65.1 |
| Texas | 985 | 33.8 |
| New York | 735 | 36.4 |
| Illinois | 599 | 46.8 |
| Georgia | 434 | 40.5 |
Reports per million residents, quartile classes · Darker = more per resident · Real FAA counts over U.S. Census 2020 populations · 50 states + DC shown; Puerto Rico and other territories reported but not on this 50-state map
The states that call it in
California leads on volume, but the rate column tells the fuller story - open any state to see its own trend, busiest cities and per-capita standing.
- 1 California 1,620 41/M
- 2 Florida 1,402 65.1/M
- 3 Texas 985 33.8/M
- 4 New York 735 36.4/M
- 5 Illinois 599 46.8/M
- 6 Georgia 434 40.5/M
- 7 Arizona 409 57.2/M
- 8 New Jersey 395 42.5/M
- 9 North Carolina 376 36/M
- 10 Pennsylvania 293 22.5/M
- 11 Massachusetts 282 40.1/M
- 12 Colorado 276 47.8/M
Bar = total reports · /M = reports per million residents (2020 census) · Tap a state for its detail
From the tower to the high enroute
Most drones are called in from the runway environment - an airport tower logs 50% of reports. But a real share reach the approach corridors and even the high-altitude enroute centers, where an airliner is moving fast and a drone has no business being.
Airport tower (ATCT)5,735 (50%)
Logged by a control tower - right over the runway environment.
Approach (TRACON)3,366 (30%)
Terminal radar approach - aircraft climbing out or on final.
Enroute center (ARTCC)876 (8%)
High-altitude enroute airspace, between airports.
Other / unstated1,402 (12%)
No ATC facility named in the report narrative.
Facility type parsed from the FAA narrative; "other" = no facility named in the report.
A daylight phenomenon
Reports track the sun. Almost none come in overnight; they build through the morning, crest around 12p, and fade after dusk. 71% of timed reports land between 10a and 6p - when a drone is easiest to see, and when the sky is busiest.
Local report time parsed from the FAA narrative clock stamp; 10,742 of 11,379 reports carry a parseable time.
Big-airport towns
The busiest report cities are the busiest airport cities - New York, Chicago, Los Angeles. Drones and airliners are competing for the same crowded approach paths over the largest metros.
- 1 New YorkNY 497
- 2 ChicagoIL 470
- 3 Los AngelesCA 324
- 4 HoustonTX 323
- 5 AtlantaGA 308
- 6 OrlandoFL 286
- 7 MiamiFL 255
- 8 DenverCO 226
- 9 WashingtonDC 202
- 10 PhoenixAZ 189
- 11 Las VegasNV 181
- 12 CharlotteNC 166
City as recorded in the FAA report; a report city is typically the nearest towered airport.