Where are meteorites found?

During the ten years of 2014–2023, 93 meteorites were found in North America – 2 from Canada, 5 from Mexico, and 86 from the United States. The 93 meteorites are listed in three tables below: (Table 1) observed falls (15%), (Table 2) finds by experience meteorite hunters deliberately looking for meteorites (54%), and (Table 3) serendipitous finds by persons doing something else (31%). Arbitrarily, the meteorites are listed in fall or find order by year in each table. Click the meteorite name at the left for more information from the Meteoritical Bulletin Database, sometimes including photos.

Observed Falls

Of the 93 meteorites, 14 were “falls.” Two of these (coincidentally, the only two from Canada) were stones that hit roofs and the stones were later recovered. The other 12 were observed as meteors (fireballs) by radar or video cameras from which the likely fall locations were estimated. When these locations are announced, experienced meteorite hunters descend on the area and often find several stones over a period of several days to weeks. Notice that all of the meteorites are ordinary chondrites (OC).

Meteorite Name	Year Found	Place Fell	Meteorite Type	Mass	Notes
Creston	2015	California, USA	OC	688 g	At least 3 stones recovered.
Dishchii’bikoh	2016	Arizona, USA	OC	79.5 g	At least 15 stones recovered.
Mount Blanco	2016	Texas, USA	OC	36.2 g	1 stone found in a cotton field.
Osceola	2016	Florida, USA	OC	1099 g	At least 8 stones recovered, the largest 839 g.
Glendale	2018	Arizona, USA	OC	85.2 g	A homeowner found a stone “partially embedded in his granite-covered, xeriscaped front garden.”
Hamburg	2018	Michigan, USA	OC	1000 g	At least 19 stones recovered.
Cranfield	2022	Mississippi, USA	OC	597 g	Two stones found along a highway, one in many pieces.
Great Salt Lake	2022	Utah, USA	OC	3.47 kg	At least 2 stones recovered.
Junction City	2022	Georgia, USA	OC	1951 g	Fragments from at least 9 stones were found, all along roads.
El Sauz	2023	Texas, USA	OC	5.23 kg	At least 10 stones recovered.
La Posa Plain	2023	Arizona, USA	OC	565 g	At least 6 stones recovered.
Mvskoke Merkv	2023	Oklahoma, USA	OC	1421 g	At least 6 stones recovered, one embedded in the metal roof of a barn.
Golden	2021	British Columbia, Canada	OC	2.39 kg	“One fist-sized complete 1270 g individual punched through the southwestern corner of the roof of Ms. Ruth Hamilton’s house in downtown Golden, landing on a pillow next to her head as she lay in bed.”
Menisa	2022	Alberta, Canada	OC	33.3 g	“Mr. Doug Olson heard a loud bang on the roof of his house, in the Menisa neighborhood of Edmonton, one afternoon in October 2022 while in an upstairs room. On the same day he went onto the roof looking for damage searching for the source of the noise, but found nothing at the time. On May 20, 2023 he was cleaning debris from the eaves and found a single, 33.3 g mass in the eavestrough.” See photos at the top of this page.

Finds

The other 79 meteorites recognized from North America from 2014 through 2023 were found long after they fell. (How long? We do not know).

Found while deliberately searching for meteorites

Sixty-three percent, 50 of the 79 meteorite finds, were found by experienced meteorite hunters who deliberately searched areas known to be good places to find meteorites.

Things to notice:

• All of these locations are arid regions of California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona – deserts, dry lake beds (playas), outwash plains. All are places where there are few plants.
• Most such areas have already been thoroughly searched.
• The mass range is 2.6-4000 g. The media mass (half are greater, half are smaller) is 47 g (1.7 oz.). That is small.
• All but three are ordinary chondrites.

Meteorite Name	Year Found	Place Found	Meteorite Type	Mass	Circumstances
Yucca 049	2014	Arizona, USA	OC	20.8 g	Desert; 1 of 29 Yucca meteorites found over ~18 km (2004–2014)
Harper Dry Lake 037	2014	California, USA	OC	4.4 g	Dry lake, playa; 1 of 29 Harper Dry Lake meteorites found over ~6 km (1999–2014)
Lucerne Valley 123	2014	California, USA	OC	6.3 g	Dry lake, playa; 1 of 66 Lucerne Valley meteorites found over ~6 km (1963–2014)
Lucerne Valley 124	2014	California, USA	OC	6.4 g	Dry lake, playa; 1 of 66 Lucerne Valley meteorites found over ~6 km (1963–2014)
Superior Valley 032	2014	California, USA	OC	9.1 g	Dry lake, playa; 1 of 18 Superior Valley meteorites found over ~10 km (2000–2014)
Ivanpah Dry Lake	2014	California, USA	OC	1128 g	Dry lake, playa
Lake Los Angeles (b)	2014	California, USA	OC	177.3 g	Desert, between sand dunes and interdune mud flats
Bluewing 039	2014	Nevada, USA	OC	42 g	Dry lake, playa; 1 of 19 Bluewing meteorites found over ~5k (2019-2014)
Daveytown 001	2014	Nevada, USA	OC	30.1 g	Dry lake, playa; 1 of 7 Daveytown meteorites found over ~2 km (2014-2018)
Daveytown 002	2014	Nevada, USA	OC	15.7 g	Dry lake, playa; 1 of 7 Daveytown meteorites found over ~2 km (2014–2018)
Daveytown 003	2014	Nevada, USA	OC	9.4 g	Dry lake, playa; 1 of 7 Daveytown meteorites found over ~2 km (2014–2018)
Eldorado Valley 003	2014	Nevada, USA	OC	2.72 kg	Open desert; 1 of 3 Eldorado Valley meteorites found over ~14 km (2000–2014)
Tule Valley Hardpan 007	2014	Utah, USA	EC	3.2 g	Dry lake, playa; 1 of 8 Tule Valley Hardpan meteorites found over ~6 km (2007–2014). This is the only enstatite chondrite on this page.
Tule Valley Hardpan 008	2014	Utah, USA	OC	15 g	Dry lake, playa; 1 of 8 Tule Valley Hardpan meteorites found over ~6 km (2007–2014)
Coyote Dry Lake 349	2015	California, USA	OC	4 kg	Dry lake, playa; 22 fragments were recovered. 1 of 58 Coyote Dry Lake meteorites found over ~7 km (1995–2021)
Black Butte 001	2015	Nevada, USA	OC	27.5 g	Dry lake, playa; 1 of 3 Black Butte meteorites found over ~9 km (2015–2018)
Black Butte 002	2015	Nevada, USA	OC	9.9 g	Dry lake, playa; 1 of 3 Black Butte meteorites found over ~9 km (2015-2018)
Daveytown 004	2015	Nevada, USA	OC	7.3 g	Dry lake, playa; 1 of 7 Daveytown meteorites found over ~2 km (2014–2018)
Daveytown 005	2015	Nevada, USA	OC	15.3 g	Dry lake, playa; 1 of 7 Daveytown meteorites found over ~2 km (2014–2018)
Hardpan Flat	2015	Nevada, USA	Ur	2.6 g	Dry lake, playa; “(he) hastily gathered a bagful of pebbles from the surface of a dry lake just before nightfall. It was not until 2019 August that he scrutinized the contents of that bag, and recognized one of the small pebbles as being a meteorite,” the only ureilite on this page.
Mohave Mountains	2016	Arizona, USA	OC	613 g	Alluvial fan
Blackhawk Mountain (b)	2016	California, USA	OC	52.4 g	Alluvial fan-landslide
Nova 062	2016	California, USA	OC	1500 g	“purportedly found in California”
Nova 063	2016	California, USA	OC	18.3 g	“purportedly found in California”
Nova 064	2016	California, USA	OC	70.9 g	“purportedly found in California”
Cactus Forest (a)	2017	Arizona, USA	OC	63 g	Desert
Troy Dry Lake	2017	California, USA	OC	16.3 g	Dry lake, playa
Stewart Valley 023	2017	Nevada, USA	OC	485 g	Dry lake bed; 1 of 26 Stewart Valley meteorites found over ~10 km (2001–2022)
Stewart Valley 024	2017	Nevada, USA	OC	158.2 g	Dry lake bed; 1 of 26 Stewart Valley meteorites found over ~10 km (2001–2022)
Sentinel Plain (a)	2018	Arizona, USA	OC	97 g	Desert; 1 of 4 Sentinel Plain meteorites found over ~10 km (2018–2019)
Sentinel Plain (b)	2018	Arizona, USA	OC	300 g	Desert; 1 of 4 Sentinel Plain meteorites found over ~10 km (2018–2019)
Sentinel Plain (c)	2018	Arizona, USA	OC	540 g	Desert; 1 of 4 Sentinel Plain meteorites found over ~10 km (2018–2019)
Cleghorn Lakes	2018	California, USA	OC	1100 g	Desert; many fragments
Black Butte 003	2018	Nevada, USA	OC	4.4 g	Dry lake, playa; 1 of 3 Black Butte meteorites found over ~9 km (2015–2018)
Daveytown 006	2018	Nevada, USA	OC	6.6 g	Dry lake, margin of a sand-dune field; 1 of 7 Daveytown meteorites found over ~2 km (2014–2018)
Daveytown 007	2018	Nevada, USA	OC	23 g	Dry lake, margin of a sand-dune field; 1 of 7 Daveytown meteorites found over ~2 km (2014–2018)
Misfits Flat 003	2018	Nevada, USA	OC	10.6 g	Dry lake, playa
Sentinel Plain (d)	2019	Arizona, USA	OC	119 g	Desert
Gypsum Spring	2019	Nevada, USA	OC	227 g	Desert
Utting	2020	Arizona, USA	OC	2.2 kg	Desert wash, while looking for more stones of Bouse meteorite found in 2004
Willcox Playa 012	2020	Arizona, USA	OC	17.8 g	Dry lake, playa
Cargo Muchacho Mountains (c)	2020	California, USA	OC	219 g	Desert wash, “while he was searching for additional stones of the Cargo Muchacho Mountains (CO3) meteorite” found in 2000
Bonnie Claire 003	2020	Nevada, USA	CC	60.4 g	Desert flat
Dateland	2021	Arizona, USA	OC	84 g	“broad ”hummock and swale’ topography along the edge of dune field”
Utting (b)	2021	Arizona, USA	OC	96.6 g	Desert wash, 8 km from Utting meteorite
Coyote Dry Lake 351	2021	California, USA	OC	292 g	Dry lake, playa; 1 of 58 Coyote Dry Lake meteorites found over ~7 km (1995–2021)
Hinkley	2021	California, USA	OC	12.6 g	Found in gravel between two blow-outs.
Coaldale	2022	Nevada, USA	OC	190 g	Desert
Stewart Valley 025	2022	Nevada, USA	OC	13.7 g	Dry lake, playa; 1 of 26 Stewart Valley meteorites found over ~10 km (2001–2022)
Stewart Valley 026	2022	Nevada, USA	OC	66.7 g	Dry lake, playa; 1 of 26 Stewart Valley meteorites found over ~10 km (2001–2022)

Found while finder was doing something else

The 29 meteorites of this table were found by observant persons who were not experienced meteorite hunters. Note that:

• Few are from eastern U.S.
• Five are iron meteorites whereas none of those in Tables 1 or 2 are irons. (Iron meteorites are much less common as falls than stony meteorites but are easier to find.)
• All but one of the stony meteorites are ordinary chondrites (OC).
• The typical (median) mass is 2800 g, 60 times that of Table 2. (Big meteorites are easier to find.)
• Five are reported to have been found with metal detectors.

Meteorite Name	Year Found	Where Found	Meteorite Type	Mass	Circumstances
Cragin Reservoir	2014	Arizona, USA	OC	72 g	Found while turkey hunting.
Parker	2014	Arizona, USA	OC	17.6 g	Found while hiking on desert pavement.
Monteview	2014	Idaho, USA	iron	25.9 kg	Found along a fence line in an agricultural area.
Bazine Creek	2014	Kansas, USA	OC	438 g	Found while hunting for arrowheads.
Estancia Valley	2014	New Mexico, USA	OC	2 kg	Found in a field after plowing.
La Ciénega (b)	2014	Sonora, Mexico	OC	6.14 kg	Found while prospecting for gold near abandoned mining community. The first La Ciénega meteorite (2007) was found by another gold prospector.
Scarham Creek	2015	Alabama, USA	OC	52.1 g	Found on family property after a fire by the landowner who was hoping to find a meteorite.
Old Camp Wash	2015	Arizona, USA	OC	18.08 kg	Found by rancher while driving an all-terrain vehicle.
Dunas de la Soledad	2015	Baja California, Mexico	OC	2.52 kg	Found while walking in sand dunes.
Tiger Tail	2015	Florida, USA	OC	39 g	Found along a shell beach while kayaking.
Licking	2015	Missouri, USA	iron	8.07 kg	Found with metal detector on finder’s property.
El Boludo	2015	Tamaulipas, Mexico	OC	19.62 kg	Found while metal detecting for gold nuggets, “Numerous fragments and several whole stones.”
Clarendon (c)	2015	Texas, USA	OC	377 kg	Finders were riding horses on a dude ranch. Riders reported that “their horses went crazy” when they approached a large unusual rock.”
Sauceda de la Borda	2016	Zacatecas, Mexico	iron	41 kg	Finder was clearing brush along a dirt road.
Scottsdale	2017	Arizona, USA	OC	211 g	Found in desert at edge of a dry wash.
Alva (b)	2017 February	Oklahoma, USA	OC (H6)	1125 g	A farmer, an amateur rock collector, found the meteorite in a field.
Alva (a)	2017 September	Oklahoma, USA	OC (H5)	2.82 kg	The same farmer found the meteorite alongside a dirt road about a mile from Alva (b).
Quitovac	2017	Sonora, Mexico	OC	9.11 kg	Found while searching for gold with metal detectors.
Willcox Playa 011	2018	Arizona, USA	OC	41 g	Finder was searching for an old aircraft crash site. Eleven meteorites have been found on Willcox Playa (1979–2020).
Keysville	2018	Georgia, USA	OC	2.65 kg	Finders were hunting for arrowheads.
Barnstable	2018	Massachusetts, USA	OC	14.28 kg	Found by hikers. “The main mass was found on the surface resting in decomposing leaves surrounded with wild native blueberry bushes.” Several fragments found over a few weeks. Only the second meteorite to be found in Massachusetts.
Dry Creek	2018	South Dakota, USA	OC	5 kg	Found in hayfield by farmer.
O’Donnell (b)	2018	Texas, USA	OC	8 kg	Found by homeowner while working in her garden. Found 9 km from O’Donnell, also an H5 chondrite (1992, 12.7 kg).
Halloran Spring	2019	California, USA	iron	18.15 kg	Found while metal detecting on personal property.
Hillsboro	2019	New Mexico, USA	OC	31 g	Found while silver prospecting in desert.
Robbers Roost	2020	California, USA	OC	161 g	Found while work-team was transplanting chaparral bushes in desert.
Chestnut Ridge	2020	Tennessee, USA	OC	2.92 kg	Found while deer hunting.
Grapevine Mesa	2021	Arizona, USA	CC	550 g	Found while searching for gold with metal detectors.
Handys Bend	2021	Kentucky, USA	iron	3.18 kg	Had been placed near a barn by previous owner.

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See also:

Meteorite numbers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico

Meteorite statistics

How are meteorites named?