This is a list of lighthouses in the United States. The

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

has had approximately a thousand

lights Light is an electromagnetic radiation, part of which stimulates the sense of vision. Light or Lights may also refer to: Illumination * Light bulb * Traffic light Arts and entertainment Music * Lights (musician) (born 1987), Canadian singer-son ...

as well as light towers, range lights, and pier head lights.

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

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 A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...

(since 1939) and its predecessors, the

United States Lighthouse Service The United States Lighthouse Service, also known as the Bureau of Lighthouses, was the agency of the United States Government and the general lighthouse authority for the United States from the time of its creation in 1910 as the successor of t ...

(1910–1939) and the

United States Lighthouse Board The United States Lighthouse Board was the second agency of the U.S. federal government, under the Department of Treasury, responsible for the construction and maintenance of all lighthouses and navigation aids in the United States, between 18 ...

(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 The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

under the

National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 (NHLPA; Public Law 106-355; 16 U.S.C. 470w-7) is American legislation creating a process for the transfer of federally owned lighthouses into private hands. It was created as an extension o ...

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 area In the law of the United States, an insular area is a U.S.-associated jurisdiction that is not part of the 50 states or the District of Columbia. This includes fourteen U.S. territories administered under U.S. sovereignty, as well as three sov ...

s of the United States. All of the islands listed below are uninhabited, and have not been formerly incorporated into the country.

Notes

:A. The shortest lighthouse in Massachusetts is either Palmer Island Light at or

Brant Point Light Brant Point Light is a lighthouse located on Nantucket, Massachusetts, Nantucket Island. The station was established in 1746, automated in 1965, and is still in operation. The current tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places on O ...

at . Sources remain split on this issue, with at least one claiming the latter as the shortest in

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

. :B. The Perry Monument in

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

and the

Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; French: ''La Liberté éclairant le monde'') is a List of colossal sculpture in situ, colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the U ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

are not classified as lighthouses. They would come in as the two tallest lighthouses in the United States otherwise. :C.

Minnesota Point Light The Minnesota Point Light was a historic lighthouse on Minnesota Point in Duluth, Minnesota, United States, on the shores of Lake Superior. Built in 1858, it was the first lighthouse in the state, but is now a truncated ruined tower. The ruin w ...

was built in 1858, but only half of the now ruined tower remains. :D. The oldest light station is

Pottawatomie Light Pottawatomie Lighthouse, also known as the Rock Island Light, is a lighthouse in Rock Island State Park, on Rock Island in Door County, Wisconsin. Lit in 1836, it is the oldest light station in Wisconsin and on Lake Michigan. It was served by c ...

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 each. :F. These two lighthouses are tied at 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 Ship Island Light was a lighthouse in Mississippi near Gulfport. History The first tower at this site was constructed in 1853; though appropriations were made starting in 1848; disputes over land ownership delayed acquisition of the land. This to ...

were all 30 feet tall.

References

External links

General

Lighthouses in the National Park System
*

* a comprehensive international listing maintained by Russ Rowlett

from the

Interactive map of lighthouses all over the countryAmateur Radio Lighthouse Society (ARLHS) U.S. LIGHTHOUSES BY STATEHistorical Landmarks - United States Lighthouses

Great Lakes

Wisconsin Historical Society, antique photographs of Wisconsin lighthouses

A more comprehensive (and interactive with geographic locations) listing of Michigan lighthouses and museums, complete with pictures and descriptionsDetroit News, interactive map on Michigan lighthousesMap of Michigan Lighthouse
in PDF format

{{Lighthouses in the United States * United States Coast Guard