List of lighthouses in the United States

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.

New England

New Hampshire

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

Vermont

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

Mid-Atlantic

Midwest

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.

Pacific (states)

South

United States territories

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.

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

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