October is in full swing and with that comes cooler temperatures, the leaves changing colors, and one of the most exciting Holidays of the year...Halloween!

Ghosts, Goblins, Mummies, Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, and Zombies are ready to take over Halloween parties and hit the streets for trick-or-treating. Whether you plan on hitting the streets with your kids on Thursday, October 31st, or visiting a trunk-or-treat on a different day, it's an exciting time of the year for everyone.

When you think of iconic Halloween characters, which one is your favorite? Do you even have a favorite? Is there a movie character or costume you remember thinking was really cool? Maybe there's a character that was the exact opposite of that and scared the living daylights out of you.

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I will never forget when I was in 1st grade and my daycare provider went all out on her "Wicked Witch of the West" Halloween costume and I was absolutely terrified. She had the green paint, the nose, and the entire outfit to a t, and every time I think of The Wizard of Oz, I remember that moment.

Popular Iconic Halloween Characters

CCW Safe studied Google trends over the last 12 months to find out which popular Halloween icon was the most popular in each state. One thing...it's important to remember is this study looked at the most iconic Halloween characters and not necessarily Iowa's favorite Halloween characters.

The most popular iconic Halloween icon in Iowa is...the Ogre!

Notice there are only 4 states where the most iconic Halloween character is the Ogre. 2 of these states are in the Midwest. Iowa and Minnesota. Despite the sibling rivalry I feel Minnesota and Iowa have, both states sure are looking up Ogre's on google.

Rhode Island and Oregon are the only other 2 states where Ogre's rain supreme. Originally I thought...Oregon? I thought they were popular for the Salem witch trials, how could that not be the most popular Halloween icon?

After a quick refresher on my witch history, the "Salem Witch Trials" were held in Salem, Massachusetts in the late 1600s, not Salem, Oregon. As you can see on the map above, witches are the most iconic halloween character in Massachusets, which makes sense.

Why Ogre?

I was curious if there was something I was missing on why Ogre's would be popular on google in the state of Iowa. Is there an Iowa town I've never heard of? Is there a business or factory that could have that name in it and that's why it pops up on the google trends?

I don't know for certain but...I have a guess. Biking is extremly popular in Iowa with all of the bike trails and of course RAGBRAI, and it turns out there is a bike from Iowa Bike Co. called the "Surly Ogre!" I'm not sure how much this would really add to the google trends but definitely doesn't hurt. Did these bikes get extremly popular throughout Iowa at one point and everyone was interested in buying one?

Are there any surprises on the map that you mayb didn't expect or are you curious about any of the other states? What is it about aliens and North Dakota? Is that a popular destination to see an extra terestrial?