America's iconic beacons, by coast and region.
America's coastline is dotted with historic lighthouses — striped towers, rocky headlands, and keepers' stories stretching back centuries. This is a curated checklist of 35 of the most iconic lighthouses worth visiting, grouped by region from the Maine coast to the Pacific, with each light's location and the year it was built.
| Lighthouse | Location | Built |
|---|---|---|
| Portland Head Light | Cape Elizabeth, ME | 1791 |
| Pemaquid Point Light | Bristol, ME | 1827 |
| Bass Harbor Head Light | Tremont, ME | 1858 |
| West Quoddy Head Light | Lubec, ME | 1808 |
| Marshall Point Light | Port Clyde, ME | 1832 |
| Lighthouse | Location | Built |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Light | Little Brewster Island, MA | 1716 |
| Highland (Cape Cod) Light | Truro, MA | 1797 |
| Nauset Light | Eastham, MA | 1877 |
| Gay Head Light | Aquinnah, MA | 1856 |
| Beavertail Light | Jamestown, RI | 1856 |
| New London Ledge Light | New London, CT | 1909 |
| Lighthouse | Location | Built |
|---|---|---|
| Montauk Point Light | Montauk, NY | 1796 |
| Fire Island Light | Fire Island, NY | 1858 |
| Cape May Lighthouse | Cape May Point, NJ | 1859 |
| Barnegat Light | Barnegat Light, NJ | 1859 |
| Assateague Light | Chincoteague, VA | 1867 |
| Lighthouse | Location | Built |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Hatteras Light | Buxton, NC | 1870 |
| Bodie Island Light | Nags Head, NC | 1872 |
| Currituck Beach Light | Corolla, NC | 1875 |
| Tybee Island Light | Tybee Island, GA | 1736 |
| St. Augustine Lighthouse | St. Augustine, FL | 1874 |
| Ponce de Leon Inlet Light | Ponce Inlet, FL | 1887 |
| Key West Lighthouse | Key West, FL | 1848 |
| Lighthouse | Location | Built |
|---|---|---|
| Sand Island Light | Dauphin Island, AL | 1873 |
| Biloxi Lighthouse | Biloxi, MS | 1848 |
| Split Rock Lighthouse | Two Harbors, MN | 1910 |
| Big Sable Point Light | Ludington, MI | 1867 |
| Old Mackinac Point Light | Mackinaw City, MI | 1892 |
| Sturgeon Point Lighthouse | Harrisville, MI | 1869 |
| Lighthouse | Location | Built |
|---|---|---|
| Point Reyes Lighthouse | Inverness, CA | 1870 |
| Pigeon Point Light Station | Pescadero, CA | 1872 |
| Point Loma Light | San Diego, CA | 1855 |
| Heceta Head Light | Florence, OR | 1894 |
| Cape Disappointment Light | Ilwaco, WA | 1856 |
| Cape Flattery Light | Neah Bay, WA | 1857 |
Turn this list into a keepsake. The Triptyka Lighthouses Passport is a printable PDF with a checklist of every entry, a detail page for each, suggested routes, and achievement badges to earn.
Get the Printable Lighthouses Passport — $9.99 on Etsy →Work one coast at a time — the Maine coast and the Outer Banks each make a perfect multi-light road trip. Check climbing access before you go; not every tower is open to climb, and many are seasonal. Go at golden hour for the best photos.
Boston Light (1716, current tower 1783) is considered the oldest light station in the United States. Many of the country's oldest surviving towers are along the New England coast.
Many but not all. Some towers are open for climbing seasonally; others can only be viewed from the outside or are on private/Coast Guard land. Always check access before visiting.
The Maine coast (Portland Head Light and beyond) and North Carolina's Outer Banks (Cape Hatteras) are two of the most rewarding multi-lighthouse routes.
Several hundred historic lighthouses survive nationwide. This checklist focuses on the most iconic and visitable ones, region by region.
A printable lighthouse passport — a regional checklist, a detail page per light, coastal road-trip routes, and achievement badges.