Misplaced Pages

This is a list of lighthouses in the United States. The United States has had approximately a thousand lights as well as light towers, range lights, and pier head lights. Michigan has the most lights of any state with over 150 past and present lights. Lighthouses that are in former U.S. territories are not listed here.

Most of the lights in the United States have been built and maintained by the Coast Guard (since 1939) and its predecessors, the United States Lighthouse Service (1910–1939) and the United States Lighthouse Board (1852–1910). Before the Lighthouse Board was established, local collectors of customs were responsible for lighthouses under Stephen Pleasonton. As their importance to navigation has declined and as public interest in them has increased, the Coast Guard has been handing over ownership and in some cases responsibility for running them to other parties, the chief of them being the National Park Service under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000.

• Note: Click on the state of your choice in the tables below to link you to lighthouses in that state.

Download coordinates as:

• KML
• GPX (all coordinates)
• GPX (primary coordinates)
• GPX (secondary coordinates)

New England

New Hampshire

The state of New Hampshire only has two lighthouses, both of which are located along the Atlantic coastline.

Name	Image	Location	Coordinates	Year first lit	Automated	Year deactivated	Current lens	Focal height
Isles of Shoals Light		Isles of Shoals	42°58′02″N 70°37′23″W / 42.96722°N 70.62306°W / 42.96722; -70.62306 (Isles of Shoals Light)	1859	1987	Active	VLB-44 LED unit	82 ft (25 m)
Portsmouth Harbor Light		New Castle	43°04′15″N 70°42′30″W / 43.07083°N 70.70833°W / 43.07083; -70.70833 (Portsmouth Harbor Light)	1878	1960	Active	Fourth order Fresnel	48 ft (15 m)

Vermont

• Note: All entries here show the current tower's status; more details can be found in the lighthouse articles.

Name	Image	Location	Coordinates	Year first lit	Automated	Year deactivated	Current lens	Focal height
Burlington Breakwater North Light		Burlington	44°28′50″N 73°13′47.2″W / 44.48056°N 73.229778°W / 44.48056; -73.229778	1857 (Original) 2003 (current)	2003 (Replica)	Active	Un­known	035 35 ft (11 m)
Burlington Breakwater South Light		Burlington	44°28′12.1″N 73°13′32.4″W / 44.470028°N 73.225667°W / 44.470028; -73.225667	1857 (Original) 2003 (current)	2003 (Replica)	Active	Un­known	012 12 ft (3.7 m)
Colchester Reef Light		Shelburne	44°22′31″N 73°13′53″W / 44.3753°N 73.2314°W / 44.3753; -73.2314	1871	Never	1933	None	035 35 ft (11 m)
Isle La Motte Light		Isle La Motte	44°54′23″N 73°20′37″W / 44.9065°N 73.3435°W / 44.9065; -73.3435	1856 (Original) 1881 (current)	Un­known	Un­known	300mm	025 25 ft (7.6 m)
Juniper Island Light		South Burlington	44°27′00″N 73°16′35″W / 44.4500°N 73.2763°W / 44.4500; -73.2763	1826 (Original) 1846 (current)	Never	1954	None	025 25 ft (7.6 m)
Maxfield Point Light	—	Orleans	Un­known	1879	Un­known	Un­known	None	025 40 ft (12 m)
Newport Wharf Light	—	Orleans	Un­known	1879	Un­known	Un­known	None	025 37 ft (11 m)
Windmill Point Light		Isle La Motte	44°58′54″N 73°20′30″W / 44.9818°N 73.3418°W / 44.9818; -73.3418	1830 (Original) 1858 (current)	Un­known	Active (Inactive: 1931–2002)	300 mm	025 40 ft (12 m)
Whipple Point Light	—	Orleans	Un­known	1879	Un­known	1906	None	025 25 ft (7.6 m)

Mid-Atlantic

Midwest

Colorado

The state of Colorado has only one lighthouse, the Dillon Reservoir Lighthouse, also known as the Lake Dillon Lighthouse. It is located in the Dillon Reservoir (also referred to as Lake Dillon) in Summit County, Colorado. Although the exact completion date of the 26-foot tall tower is unknown, it was constructed along with the reservoir itself, which was completed in 1963. The lake is at an elevation of 9017 ft (2748 m), making this the highest elevation lighthouse in the U.S.

Nebraska

The state of Nebraska has at least two faux lighthouses which were first lit in 1939. There is no evidence that either were used for navigational purposes as the state has no large bodies of water that would require the need. Linoma Lighthouse is located on a privately owned recreation area which was developed around an artificial lake, while Lake Minatare Lighthouse was "built to simulate a lighthouse". Also of note is a faux lighthouse called Rock Garden Lighthouse (not listed below), located in Kearney.

Name	Image	Location	Coordinates	Year first lit	Automated	Year deactivated	Current Lens	Height
Linoma Lighthouse		Gretna	41°3′44″N 96°19′8″W / 41.06222°N 96.31889°W / 41.06222; -96.31889	1939	Always	Active	Decorative	100 100 ft (30 m)
Lake Minatare Lighthouse		Scottsbluff	41°55′50″N 103°30′05″W / 41.93056°N 103.50139°W / 41.93056; -103.50139	1939	Always	Active	Decorative	055 55 ft (17 m)

Pacific (states)

South

United States territories

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2017)

United States Minor Outlying Islands

This table lists lighthouses that are in insular areas of the United States. All of the islands listed below are uninhabited, and have not been formerly incorporated into the country.

Name	Image	Location	Coordinates	Year first lit	Automated	Year deactivated	Current Lens	Height
Baker Island Light		Baker Island	0°11′44.8″N 176°29′03.4″W / 0.195778°N 176.484278°W / 0.195778; -176.484278	1935	Never	1942	None	016 16 ft (4.9 m)
Howland Island Light (aka: Earhart Light)		Howland Island	0°48′20.6″N 176°37′08.6″W / 0.805722°N 176.619056°W / 0.805722; -176.619056	1937	Never	1942	None	020 20 ft (6.1 m)
Jarvis Island Light		Jarvis Island	0°22′13.6″S 160°00′24.1″W / 0.370444°S 160.006694°W / -0.370444; -160.006694	1935	Never	1945	None	016 16 ft (4.9 m)
Navassa Island Light		Navassa Island	18°23′50.7″N 75°00′46.2″W / 18.397417°N 75.012833°W / 18.397417; -75.012833	1917	1929	1996	None	161 161 ft (49 m)
Sand Island Aviation Light	—	Midway Atoll	28°12′42.7″N 177°22′36.4″W / 28.211861°N 177.376778°W / 28.211861; -177.376778	Un­known	Un­known	Active	Un­known	046 46 ft (14 m)
Wake Island Aviation Light	—	Wake Island	19°17′02.0″N 166°39′05.2″E / 19.283889°N 166.651444°E / 19.283889; 166.651444	Un­known	Un­known	Active	Un­known	052 52 ft (16 m)

See also

• List of lighthouses in the United States by height
• List of lightships of the United States
• Lists of lighthouses
• National Historic Preservation Act of 1966
• National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act
• United States Lighthouse Society
• United States Coast Guard History and Heritage Sites

Further reading

• Crompton, Samuel Willard & Michael J. Rhein, The Ultimate Book of Lighthouses (2002) ISBN 1-59223-102-0; ISBN 978-1-59223-102-7.
• Hyde, Charles K., and Ann and John Mahan. The Northern Lights: Lighthouses of the Upper Great Lakes. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1995. ISBN 0-8143-2554-8 ISBN 9780814325544.
• Jones, Ray & Bruce Roberts, American Lighthouses (Globe Pequot, September 1, 1998, 1st Ed.) ISBN 0-7627-0324-5; ISBN 978-0-7627-0324-1.
• Jones, Ray,The Lighthouse Encyclopedia, The Definitive Reference (Globe Pequot, January 1, 2004, 1st ed.) ISBN 0-7627-2735-7; ISBN 978-0-7627-2735-3.
• Noble, Dennis, Lighthouses & Keepers: U. S. Lighthouse Service and Its Legacy Annapolis: U. S. Naval Institute Press, 1997. ISBN 1-55750-638-8; ISBN 978-1-55750-638-2.
• Oleszewski, Wes, Great Lakes Lighthouses, American and Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses, (Gwinn, Michigan: Avery Color Studios, Inc., 1998) ISBN 0-932212-98-0.
• Penrod, John, Lighthouses of Michigan, (Berrien Center, Michigan: Penrod/Hiawatha, 1998) ISBN 978-0-942618-78-5 ISBN 9781893624238.
• Penrose, Laurie and Bill, A Traveler's Guide to 116 Michigan Lighthouses (Petoskey, Michigan: Friede Publications, 1999). ISBN 0-923756-03-5 ISBN 9780923756031
• Pepper, Terry. "Seeing the Light: Lighthouses on the western Great Lakes". Archived from the original on January 30, 2008.
• Putnam, George R., Lighthouses and Lightships of the United States, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1933).
• Roach, Jerry, Ultimate Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses, (2003).
• Thurston, Harry,Against Darkness and Storm: Lighthouses of the Northeast (Halifax: Nimbus, 1993).
• United States Coast Guard, Aids to Navigation, (Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1945).
• Price, Scott T. "U. S. Coast Guard Aids to Navigation: A Historical Bibliography". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office.
• U.S. Coast Guard, Historically Famous Lighthouses (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1957).
• Wagner, John L. "Beacons Shining in the Night: The Lighthouses of Michigan". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University.
• Wagner, John L., Michigan Lighthouses: An Aerial Photographic Perspective, (East Lansing, Michigan: John L. Wagner, 1998) ISBN 1-880311-01-1 ISBN 9781880311011.
• Weiss, George, The Lighthouse Service, Its History, Activities and Organization (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1926).
• Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia, Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) ISBN 1-55046-399-3.

Notes

A. The shortest lighthouse in Massachusetts is either Palmer Island Light at 24 ft (7.3 m) or Brant Point Light at 26 ft (7.9 m). Sources remain split on this issue, with at least one claiming the latter as the shortest in New England.

B. The Perry Monument in Ohio and the Statue of Liberty in New York City are not classified as lighthouses. They would come in as the two tallest lighthouses in the United States otherwise.

C. Minnesota Point Light was built in 1858, but only half of the now ruined tower remains.

D. The oldest light station is Pottawatomie Light which was established in 1836; however, the current buildings date to 1858.

E. The shortest height is for a skeletal tower which was placed in 1981. For "traditional" lighthouses, Point Retreat Light and Cape Spencer Light are tied at 25 ft (7.6 m) each.

F. These two lighthouses are tied at 115 ft (35 m) each.

G. The oldest lighthouse in Hawaii was called "Lahaina Lighthouse", which was built in 1905 before it was replaced. Moloka'i Light is the oldest currently standing lighthouse; it was first lit a month before the still standing Makapuu Point Light.

H. Pass A L'Outre Light was originally constructed in 1852 elsewhere and moved to its present location.

I. Cat Island Light (first tower), Pass Christian Light, and Ship Island Light were all 30 feet tall.

References

1. ^ "Lighthouse Listing By Tower height". www.us-lighthouses.com. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
2. ^ "The Oldest Lighthouse in Each New England State". New England Historical Society. 20 January 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
3. RJ Heller (May 8, 2018). "Fog and lighthouse as mother and father". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
4. "Oldest U.S. lighthouse, the Boston Light, celebrates 300 years". Accociated Press via Navy Times. September 14, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
5. "Isles of Shoals (White Island) Lighthouse". Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
6. "Lighthouses of Rhode Island MPS (PDF pp. 46–50)" (PDF). Rhode Island Preservation. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
7. ^ Susan Hodara (15 August 2014). "Taking In the History of New London, a City Shaped by the Sea". The New York Times.
8. "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: New Hampshire". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.
9. "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Vermont". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.
10. Marlo Jappen (July 22, 2015). "Secrets of the Fire Island Lighthouse". Newsday. Archived from the original on August 27, 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
11. Unknown Author (March 11, 2011). Lighthouses of the Mid-Atlantic Coast. Voyageur Press. p. 145. ISBN 9780760339510. Retrieved August 27, 2018. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
12. Linda J. Barth (June 25, 2018). New Jersey Originals: Technological Marvels, Odd Inventions, Trailblazing Characters & More. Arcadia Publishing. p. 86. ISBN 9781467139267. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
13. Francis Ross Holland (January 1, 1988). America's Lighthouses. Courier Corporation. p. 11. ISBN 9780486255767. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
14. "Liston Range Rear Light, DE". Kraig Anderson. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
15. Unknown Author (March 11, 2011). Lighthouses of the Mid-Atlantic Coast. Voyageur Press. p. 149. ISBN 9780760339510. Retrieved August 27, 2018. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
16. "Craighill Channel Lower Rear Lighthouse". Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
17. "Historic Light Station Information & Photography Maryland". United States Coast Guard. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
18. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Maryland". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
19. "No two lighthouses are alike". Tri County Times. June 29, 2017. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
20. "Old Lighthouse Museum oldest in Indiana". The Michigan City News Dispatch. August 14, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
21. "Fort Gratiot Lighthouse". PH Museum. Archived from the original on March 19, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
22. Martin Hintz (2003). Minnesota Family Weekends. Big Earth Publishing. p. 78. ISBN 9781931599221. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
23. "Northwood, OH". Lighthouse Friends. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
24. "Marblehead Lighthouse". Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
25. Ken Wardius, and Barb Wardius (2000). Wisconsin Lighthouses: A Photographic & Historical Guide. Big Earth Publishing. p. 72. ISBN 9781879483606. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
26. Colorado's only lighthouse is the highest in the United States
27. Dillon Reservoir
28. Lighthouses of the United States: Colorado
29. Colorado is Home to the Highest Lighthouse in the Country
30. Lighthouse and rock garden at Harmon Park
31. English: Harmon Park
32. Kennewick's Clover Island Lighthouse gets its lid Published 2010-01-07
33. "Eldred Rock Lighthouse". Sheldon Museum. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
34. "Yaquina Head Lighthouse". Bureau of Land Management. Archived from the original on May 22, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
35. "Inventory of Historic Lighthouses - Sand Island". National Park Service. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
36. "Inventory of Historic Lighthouses - Mobile Middle Bay". National Park Service. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
37. "Inventory of Historic Lighthouses - Cedar Keys". National Park Service. Retrieved May 6, 2008.
38. "Home | Tybee Island Light Station And Museum". tybeelighthouse.org. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
39. Cipra, David L. (1997). Lighthouses, Lightships, and the Gulf of Mexico. Cypress Communications. ISBN 0963641212.
40. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of U.S. Pacific Remote Islands". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
41. Rowlett, Russ. "Navassa Island Lighthouse". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
42. NGA List of Lights – Pub.111 Retrieved November 6, 2016.
43. "Palmer Island, MA". Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
44. "Palmer Island Light Station". National Park Service. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
45. Ray Bartlett (June 14, 2016). Moon Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket. Avalon Publishing. ISBN 9781631212697. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
46. Amy Jenness (October 7, 2014). On This Day in Nantucket History. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781625851598. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
47. Dave Wobser. "Perry's Memorial Monument". lighthouse.boatnerd.com. Archived from the original on March 13, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
48. "Minnesota Point, MN". LighthouseFriends. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
49. "Pottawatomie (Rock Island) Lighthouse". Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
50. "Lahaina Lighthouse". Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
51. "Makapu'u Lighthouse". Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
52. "Moloka'i (Kalaupapa) Lighthouse". Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
53. Lighthouse Board; Homans, Isaac Smith (November 24, 1856). Northeast Pass Lighthouse; Mouths of the Mississippi River. Vol. 36. p. 367. Retrieved September 6, 2017. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
54. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Louisiana". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved September 5, 2017.

External links

General

• Lighthouses in the National Park System
• Light List, Volumes 1-7. United States Coast Guard.
• Lighthouse Friends
• Rowlett, Russ. "The Lighthouse Directory". University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. a comprehensive international listing maintained by Russ Rowlett
• Inventory of Historic Light Stations Archived 2004-11-05 at the Wayback Machine from the National Park Service
• Interactive map of lighthouses all over the country
• Lighthouses in the National Park System
• Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society (ARLHS) U.S. LIGHTHOUSES BY STATE
• Lighthouses: An Administrative History
• Historical Landmarks - United States Lighthouses

Great Lakes

• Wisconsin Historical Society, antique photographs of Wisconsin lighthouses
• Terry Pepper on lighthouses of the Western Great Lakes
• Bibliography on Michigan and other lighthouses
• A more comprehensive (and interactive with geographic locations) listing of Michigan lighthouses and museums, complete with pictures and descriptions
• Detroit News, interactive map on Michigan lighthouses
• Map of Michigan Lighthouse in PDF format
• Wagner, John L. Beacons Shining in the Night, Michigan Lighthouse Bibliography, Chronology, History, Keepers Lives, and Photographs, Clarke Historical Library, Central, Michigan University

• United States
• Engineering
• Architecture
• Lists

v t e Lighthouses
History of lighthouses Conservation of lighthouses Museums
Types	Construction Aerial Caisson Crib Integral Pile Screw-pile Skeletal tower Vessel (acting) Navigational purpose Daymark Leading lights Sea mark Sector light
Fixtures	Aerobeacon Argand lamp Automatic lamp changer Bird-cage lantern Carcel lamp Dalén light Foghorn Fresnel lens Lens lantern Lewis lamp Light characteristic VRB-25
Maintenance	Keepers Light dues Pharologists Tender
Locations	Africa Antarctica Asia Europe North America Oceania South America
Categories	Lighthouse builders Lighthouses by heritage register Lighthouses by century of completion Lighthouses by year of completion
Global organizations	General lighthouse authority International Association of Lighthouse Authorities International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend Lighthouse Digest
Category Commons Wiktionary WikiProject

• Lighthouses in the United States
• Lists of lighthouses in the United States
• United States Coast Guard