List of tallest lighthouses in the United States facts for kids
Lighthouses are tall towers with bright lights that help ships find their way and stay safe at sea. They warn sailors about dangerous coastlines, rocks, or shallow waters. The height of a lighthouse can be measured in two ways: how tall the tower itself is, and how high the light source (called the "focal plane") is above the water. Sometimes, a lighthouse is built on a very tall cliff, making its light much higher than the tower itself.
It's important to remember that some very tall structures, like the Statue of Liberty or the Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, can also shine lights that help ships. However, they aren't usually called lighthouses because their main purpose isn't just to guide ships.
Tallest Lighthouses in the United States
Here are some of the tallest lighthouses in the United States, measured by the height of their towers. These amazing structures have guided countless ships to safety!
| Height | Lighthouse | State |
|---|---|---|
| 210 feet (64 m) | Cape Hatteras Light | North Carolina |
| 191 feet (58 m) | Cape Charles Light | Virginia |
| 175 feet (53 m) | Ponce de Leon Inlet Light | Florida |
| 171 feet (52 m) | Absecon Light | New Jersey |
| 169 feet (52 m) | Cape Lookout Light | North Carolina |
| 168 feet (51 m) | Fire Island Light | New York |
| 165 feet (50 m) | St. Augustine Light | Florida |
| 164 feet (50 m) | Cape Henry Light | Virginia |
| 163 feet (50 m) | Barnegat Light | New Jersey |
| 162 feet (49 m) | Navassa Island Light | Navassa Island |
| 161 feet (49 m) | Morris Island Light | South Carolina |
| 158 feet (48 m) | Currituck Beach Light | North Carolina |
| 158 feet (48 m) | Bodie Island Light | North Carolina |
| 157 feet (48 m) | Cape May Light | New Jersey |
| 157 feet (48 m) | Dry Tortugas Light | Florida |
Lighthouses with the Highest Light Above Water
The "focal plane" is where the light source is located inside the lighthouse. When a lighthouse is built on a high cliff or hill, its light can be seen from much farther away, even if the tower itself isn't super tall. This list shows lighthouses where the light is very high above the water.
- 462 feet (141 m) - Old Point Loma lighthouse, California
- 422 feet (129 m) - Cape Mendocino Light, California
- 420 feet (128 m) - Makapuu Point Light, Hawaii
- 395 feet (120 m) - Navassa Island Light, Navassa Island
- 358 feet (109 m) - Farallon Island Light, California
- 294 feet (90 m) - Point Reyes Light, California
- 278 feet (76 m) - Marcus Hook Range Rear Light, Delaware
- 277 feet (84 m) - Anacapa Island Light, California
- 273 feet (83 m) - Point Sur Light, California
- 258 feet (79 m) - Block Island Southeast Light, Rhode Island (moved to higher ground)
- 235 feet (71 m) - Cape Hinchinbrook Light, Alaska
- 214 feet (65 m) - Alcatraz Island Light, California
- 213 feet (65 m) - Molokaʻi Light, Hawaii
- 196 feet (60 m) - Trinidad Head Light, California
- 192 feet (59 m) - Cape Hatteras Light, North Carolina
- 191 feet (58 m) - Pensacola Lighthouse, Florida
- 185 feet (56 m) - Point Vicente Light, California
- 183 feet (56 m) - Highland (Cape Cod) Light, Massachusetts
- 180 feet (55 m) - Cape Charles Light, Cape Charles, Virginia
- 180 feet (55 m) - Fire Island Light, New York
- 180 feet (55 m) - Seguin Light, Maine
- 178 feet (54 m) - Monhegan Island Light, Maine
- 176 feet (54 m) - Table Bluff Light, California
- 170 feet (52 m) - Cape Sarichef Light, Alaska
- 169 feet (51 m) - Oak Island Light, North Carolina
- 168 feet (51 m) - Montauk Point Light, New York
- 166 feet (51 m) - Cape Ann Light, Massachusetts
- 165 feet (50 m) - Barnegat Light, New Jersey
- 163 feet (50 m) - Charleston Light, South Carolina
- 161 feet (49 m) - St. Augustine Light, Florida
- 159 feet (48 m) - Ponce de Leon Inlet Light, Florida
- 155 feet (47 m) - Point Arena Light, California
- 154 feet (43 m) - Assateague Light, Virginia
- 151 feet (46 m) - Dry Tortugas Light, Florida
- 148 feet (45 m) - Pigeon Point Light, California
- 146 feet (45 m) - Jupiter Inlet Light, Florida
- 144 feet (44 m) - St. George Reef Light, California
- 142 feet (43 m) - Piedras Blancas Light, California
- 140 feet (43 m) - Point Bonita Light, California
- 137 feet (42 m) - Boon Island Light, Maine
- 137 feet (42 m) - Cape Canaveral, Florida
- 134 feet (41 m) - Dice Head Light, Maine
- 130 feet (40 m) - Rock of Ages Light, Michigan
- 125 feet (38 m) - White Shoal Light, Michigan
- 125 feet (38 m) - Mobile Point Light, Alabama
- 123 feet (38 m) - Petit Manan Light, Maine
- 120 feet (37 m) - Sand Key Light, Florida
- 119 feet (36 m) - Grosse Point Light, Illinois
- 116 feet (35 m) - San Luis Obispo Light, California
- 111 feet (34 m) - Wind Point Light, Wisconsin
- 110 feet (34 m) - Fort Point Light, California
- 110 feet (30 m) - Bald Head Light, North Carolina
- 113 feet (34 m) - Rawley Point Light, Wisconsin
- 106 feet (32 m) - Eagle Island Light, Maine
- 105 feet (35 m) - Cape Spencer Light, Alaska
- 105 feet (32 m) - Baker Island Light, Maine
- 102 feet (31 m) - Sanibel Island Light, Florida
- 101 feet (31 m) - St. Croix River Light, Maine
- 101 feet (22 m) - Portland Head Light, Maine
- 100 feet (30 m) - Point Fermin Light, California
- 100 feet (30 m) - Owls Head Light, Maine
- 100 feet (30 m) - Key West Light, Florida
- 96 feet (29 m) - Cape Decision Light, Alaska
- 95 feet (29 m) - Yerba Buena Island, California
- 92 feet (28 m) - Heron Neck Light, Maine
- 91 feet (28 m) - Libby Island Light, Maine
- 91 feet (28 m) - Eldred Rock Light, Alaska
- 90 feet (27 m) - Old Cape Henry Light, Virginia
- 89 feet (27 m) - Point Pinos Light, California
- 88 feet (27 m) - Point Loma Light (new), California
- 86 feet (26 m) - Tree Point Light, Alaska
- 86 feet (26 m) - Sentinel Island Light, Alaska
- 85 feet (26 m) - Cape St. Elias Light, Alaska
- 84 feet (26 m) - Point Cabrillo Light, California
- 81 feet (25 m) - Five Finger Islands Light, Alaska
- 77 feet (23 m) - Battery Island Light, California
- 76 feet (23 m) - Mary Island Light, Alaska
- 75 feet (23 m) - Whitehead Light, Maine
- 75 feet (23 m) - Punta Gorda Light, California
- 75 feet (23 m) - Mount Desert Light, Maine
- 75 feet (23 m) - Cedar Key Light, Florida
- 75 feet (23 m) - Burnt Coat Harbor Light, Maine
- 73 feet (22 m) - Los Angeles Harbor Light, California
- 72 feet (22 m) - Moose Peak Light, Maine
- 70 feet (21 m) - Point Montara Light, California
- 67 feet (20 m) - Great Duck Island Light, Maine
- 67 feet (20 m) - Race Point Light, Massachusetts
- 65 feet (20 m) - Two Bush Island Light, Maine
- 64 feet (20 m) - Egg Rock Light, Maine
- 63 feet (19 m) - Point Retreat Light, Alaska
- 61 feet (19 m) - East Brother Island Light, California
- 59 feet (18 m) - The ... Light, Maine
- 57 feet (17 m) - Franklin Island Light, Maine
- 56 feet (17 m) - Little River Light, Maine
- 56 feet (17 m) - Carquinez Strait Light, California
- 54 feet (16 m) - Saddleback Ledge Light, Maine
- 54 feet (16 m) - Mobile Middle Bay Light, Alabama
- 53 feet (16 m) - Lubec Channel Light, Maine
- 52 feet (16 m) - Southampton Shoal Light, California
- 52 feet (16 m) - Pond Island Light, Maine
- 52 feet (16 m) - Point Hueneme Light, California
- 52 feet (16 m) - Deer Island Thorofare Light, Maine
- 52 feet (16 m) - Curtis Island Light, Maine
- 45 feet (14 m) - Wood End Light, Massachusetts
- 43 feet (13 m) - Hendricks Head Light, Maine
- 42 feet (13 m) - Prospect Harbor Point Light, Maine
- 41 feet (13 m) - Perkins Island Light, Maine
- 39 feet (12 m) - Grindel Point Light, Maine
- 39 feet (12 m) - Browns Head Light, Maine
- 37 feet (11 m) - Crabtree Ledge Light, Maine
- 36 feet (11 m) - Long Point Light, Massachusetts
- 36 feet (11 m) - Ram Island Light, Maine
- 33 feet (10 m) - Lime Point Light, California
- 33 feet (10 m) - Doubling Point Rear Range Light, Maine
- 33 feet (10 m) - Bear Island Light, Maine
- 25 feet (8 m) - Squirrel Point Light, Maine
- 25 feet (8 m) - Blue Hill Bay Light, Maine
- 23 feet (7 m) - Guard Island Light, Alaska
- 23 feet (7 m) - Doubling Point Light, Maine
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List of tallest lighthouses in the United States Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.