Guide Rankings Geography Updated July 11, 2026

Lighthouses by State

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse above the rocky Atlantic coast of Maine

Lighthouses by State

Ranking - Geography

Michigan has 203 active and historic lights, more than any other state. Maine ranks fifth with 81.

Quick Answer

Lighthouses by State

  1. 1

    Michigan has the most lighthouses of any state, with 203 active and historic lights on record. New York ranks second with 142, followed by Texas with 104.

  2. 2

    North Carolina has the tallest traditional lighthouse. Cape Hatteras Light rises 198 feet, while Virginia's Cape Charles Light reaches 191 feet and Florida's Ponce de Leon Inlet Light reaches 175 feet.

  3. 3

    New Jersey has the oldest standing and operating U.S. lighthouse. Sandy Hook Light was first lit in 1764, 27 years before Maine's Portland Head Light in 1791.

Map

Lighthouses by State Map

Lights
No data
Michigan leads with 203 registered lights, followed by New York with 142 and Texas with 104. Fifteen inland states have no navigational or historic light on record.
Lighthouses by State Map
Rank State Lights
1 Michigan 203
2 New York 142
3 Texas 104
4 Massachusetts 90
5 Maine 81
6 Wisconsin 76
7 Maryland 72
8 Florida 61
9 California 57
10 North Carolina 47
11 New Jersey 45
12 Virginia 41
13 Hawaii 39
14 Louisiana 37
15 Ohio 37
16 Rhode Island 37
17 Delaware 36
18 Washington 35
19 Connecticut 26
20 Alaska 25
21 South Carolina 22
22 Oregon 16
23 Pennsylvania 15
24 Mississippi 14
25 Georgia 12
26 Illinois 12
27 Vermont 12
28 Indiana 10
29 Minnesota 10
30 Alabama 7
31 New Hampshire 5
32 Iowa 2
33 Missouri 1
34 Oklahoma 1
35 West Virginia 1
36 Arizona 0
36 Arkansas 0
36 Colorado 0
36 Idaho 0
36 Kansas 0
36 Kentucky 0
36 Montana 0
36 Nebraska 0
36 Nevada 0
36 New Mexico 0
36 North Dakota 0
36 South Dakota 0
36 Tennessee 0
36 Utah 0
36 Wyoming 0

Michigan leads with 203 registered lights, followed by New York with 142 and Texas with 104. Fifteen inland states have no navigational or historic light on record.

Lighthouses by State Table

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Print-ready table — Lighthouses by State

States With the Most Lighthouses

White lighthouse on a rocky shoreline at sunset
Michigan leads the country with 203 active and historic lights, well ahead of New York's 142. Texas, Massachusetts, and Maine round out the top five lighthouse states.

Michigan ranks first with 203 active and historic lights, 61 more than New York's 142. Texas ranks third with 104, followed by Massachusetts at 90 and Maine at 81.

Great Lakes shorelines explain the top of the list. Michigan, Wisconsin (76), Ohio (37), Illinois (12), Indiana (10), and Minnesota (10) together hold 348 lights, and 15 inland states have none at all.

Rank
1
State
Michigan
Lights
203
Primary Waters
Great Lakes
Rank
2
State
New York
Lights
142
Primary Waters
Atlantic and Great Lakes
Rank
3
State
Texas
Lights
104
Primary Waters
Gulf of Mexico
Rank
4
State
Massachusetts
Lights
90
Primary Waters
Atlantic Ocean
Rank
5
State
Maine
Lights
81
Primary Waters
Atlantic Ocean
Rank
6
State
Wisconsin
Lights
76
Primary Waters
Great Lakes
Rank
7
State
Maryland
Lights
72
Primary Waters
Atlantic and Chesapeake Bay
Rank
8
State
Florida
Lights
61
Primary Waters
Atlantic and Gulf
Rank
9
State
California
Lights
57
Primary Waters
Pacific Ocean
Rank
10
State
North Carolina
Lights
47
Primary Waters
Atlantic Ocean

Tallest Lighthouses in the United States

Historic lighthouse tower rising above a coastal promenade and sea wall
Cape Hatteras is the tallest traditional lighthouse in the United States at 198 feet, while Sandy Hook Light in New Jersey, first lit in 1764, is the oldest standing and operating U.S. lighthouse.

Cape Hatteras Light in North Carolina is the tallest traditional U.S. lighthouse at 198 feet, 7 feet above Virginia's Cape Charles Light at 191. Florida's Ponce de Leon Inlet Light stands 175 feet and New Jersey's Absecon Lighthouse reaches 171.

Rank
1
Lighthouse
Cape Hatteras Light
State
North Carolina
Height (ft)
198
Rank
2
Lighthouse
Cape Charles Light
State
Virginia
Height (ft)
191
Rank
3
Lighthouse
Ponce de Leon Inlet Light
State
Florida
Height (ft)
175
Rank
4
Lighthouse
Absecon Lighthouse
State
New Jersey
Height (ft)
171
Rank
5
Lighthouse
Fire Island Lighthouse
State
New York
Height (ft)
168
Rank
6
Lighthouse
Morris Island Light
State
South Carolina
Height (ft)
161
Rank
7
Lighthouse
Tybee Island Light
State
Georgia
Height (ft)
145
Rank
8
Lighthouse
Molokai Light
State
Hawaii
Height (ft)
138
Rank
9
Lighthouse
Boon Island Light
State
Maine
Height (ft)
133
Rank
10
Lighthouse
Sand Island Light
State
Alabama
Height (ft)
131

Oldest Lighthouses in America

Sandy Hook Light in New Jersey dates to 1764 and remains active, the oldest standing lighthouse in the country. Boston Light followed in 1783, Portland Head Light in 1791, and Old Cape Henry Light in 1792.

Marblehead Lighthouse (1821) in Ohio and Fort Gratiot Light (1825) in Michigan are the oldest on the Great Lakes. Both still stand more than a decade older than any Pacific coast tower.

Rank
1
Lighthouse
Sandy Hook Light
State
New Jersey
First Lit
1764
Rank
2
Lighthouse
Boston Light
State
Massachusetts
First Lit
1783
Rank
3
Lighthouse
Portland Head Light
State
Maine
First Lit
1791
Rank
4
Lighthouse
Old Cape Henry Light
State
Virginia
First Lit
1792
Rank
5
Lighthouse
Montauk Point Light
State
New York
First Lit
1797
Rank
6
Lighthouse
New London Harbor Light
State
Connecticut
First Lit
1801
Rank
7
Lighthouse
Bald Head Light
State
North Carolina
First Lit
1817
Rank
8
Lighthouse
Sapelo Island Light
State
Georgia
First Lit
1820
Rank
9
Lighthouse
Marblehead Lighthouse
State
Ohio
First Lit
1821
Rank
10
Lighthouse
Fort Gratiot Light
State
Michigan
First Lit
1825

Quick Answers

Which state has the most lighthouses?
Michigan has the most lighthouses with 203 active and historic lights. New York follows with 142, and Texas ranks third with 104.
How many lighthouses are in each state?
There are 1,431 active and historic lights on record across 35 states, ranging from Michigan's 203 to one each in Missouri, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. Fifteen states have none.
What is the tallest lighthouse in the United States?
Cape Hatteras Light in North Carolina is the tallest traditional U.S. lighthouse at 198 feet. It is 7 feet taller than Virginia's 191-foot Cape Charles Light.
What is the oldest lighthouse in the United States?
Sandy Hook Light in New Jersey is the oldest standing U.S. lighthouse. First lit in 1764, it remains an active aid to navigation.
Which Great Lakes state has the most lighthouses?
Michigan leads the Great Lakes states with 203 active and historic lights. Wisconsin ranks second within that group at 76, followed by Ohio with 37.
What is the most visited lighthouse in the United States?
Cape Hatteras Light Station in North Carolina draws about 500,000 visitors a year, the most of any U.S. lighthouse. The surrounding lighthouse area receives more than 1 million visits in a typical year.

Methodology

Counts come from the ARLHS World List of Lights and include active aids, historic stations, and range and pier lights, so they run higher than surviving-tower totals. Heights and first-lit dates follow U.S. Coast Guard and National Park Service records.

Sources

Information is cross-referenced with official state archives.
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