List of lighthouses in Virginia

This is a list of all lighthouses in the U.S. state of Virginia as identified by the United States Coast Guard. There are nine active lights in the state as well as three automated caissons and eleven skeleton towers replacing previously manned lights.

The first lighthouse in the state was erected in 1792 (the first Cape Henry Light) and it is the oldest surviving structure; the last, Chesapeake Light, was built in 1965 (ignoring automated towers erected later). The tallest extant tower is that at Cape Charles Light.

If not otherwise noted, focal height and coordinates are taken from the United States Coast Guard Light List,[1] while location and dates of activation, automation, and deactivation are taken from the United States Coast Guard Historical information site for lighthouses.[2] Locations of demolished lights have been estimated using National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) navigational charts.

Name Location Coordinates Image Focal
Height 		Built[note 1] Automated Deactivated Status
Assateague Light Assateague Island 37°54′40″N 75°21′21″W / 37.9111°N 75.3558°W / 37.9111; -75.3558 142 ft (43 m) 1867 1933 Active
Back River Light Chesapeake Bay near Hampton 37°05′14″N 76°16′11″W / 37.0872°N 76.2698°W / 37.0872; -76.2698 30 ft (9.1 m) 1829 1936 Destroyed
Bells Rock Light York River 37°29′02″N 76°44′59″W / 37.4839°N 76.7498°W / 37.4839; -76.7498 40 ft (12 m) 1881 1928 replaced with skel. tower
Bowlers Rock Light Rappahannock River 37°49′28″N 76°43′58″W / 37.8245°N 76.7327°W / 37.8245; -76.7327   1868 1920 replaced with caisson light
Cape Charles Light Cape Charles 37°07′22″N 75°54′23″W / 37.1229°N 75.9063°W / 37.1229; -75.9063 180 ft (55 m) 1828/1895 1963 Active
Cape Henry Light (old) Cape Henry, Virginia Beach 36°55′33″N 76°00′29″W / 36.9257°N 76.0081°W / 36.9257; -76.0081 1792 1881 Inactive
Cape Henry Light (new) Cape Henry, Virginia Beach 36°55′35″N 76°00′26″W / 36.9264°N 76.0072°W / 36.9264; -76.0072 164 ft (50 m) 1881 1984 Active
Cherrystone Bar Light SW of Cape Charles 37°15′23″N 76°01′57″W / 37.2564°N 76.0324°W / 37.2564; -76.0324 1858 1919 Moved to Choptank River Light;
replaced with caisson light
Chesapeake Light entrance to Chesapeake Bay 36°54′17″N 75°42′46″W / 36.90472°N 75.71278°W / 36.90472; -75.71278 120 ft (37 m) 1965 1980 Active
Craney Island Light mouth of Elizabeth River 36°53′31″N 76°20′13″W / 36.892°N 76.337°W / 36.892; -76.337 36 ft (11 m) 1859/1884 1936 replaced with buoy
Deepwater Shoals Light James River 37°8′11.46″N 76°38′12.48″W / 37.1365167°N 76.6368000°W / 37.1365167; -76.6368000 27 ft (8.2 m) 1855 1936 replaced with skel. tower
Dutch Gap Canal Lights James River 37°22′35″N 77°21′34″W / 37.37639°N 77.35944°W / 37.37639; -77.35944 27 ft (8.2 m) 1875 1910 replaced with skel. towers
Great Wicomico River Light Chesapeake Bay 37°48′15″N 76°16′03″W / 37.8042°N 76.2675°W / 37.8042; -76.2675 42 ft (13 m) 1889 1967 replaced with skel. tower
Hog Island Light Hog Island near Exmore, Virginia 37°23′38″N 75°42′04″W / 37.394°N 75.701°W / 37.394; -75.701 1853/1896 1948 Demolished
Jones Point Light Alexandria 38°47′25.4″N 77°02′26.3″W / 38.790389°N 77.040639°W / 38.790389; -77.040639 1856 1919 1926 supplanted by skel. tower;
Standing but inactive[note 2]
Jordan Point Light James River 37°18′47″N 77°13′23″W / 37.313°N 77.223°W / 37.313; -77.223 35 ft (11 m) 1856/1875 1927 Replaced by skel. tower in 1941
Killock Shoal Light West of Chincoteague, Virginia 37°56′02″N 75°22′48″W / 37.934°N 75.380°W / 37.934; -75.380 48 ft (15 m) 1886 1929 1939 Replaced by skel. tower in 1941;
now unlit
Lambert Point Light Norfolk 36°52′30″N 76°19′52″W / 36.875°N 76.331°W / 36.875; -76.331 1872 1892 Collapsed around 1911
Nansemond River Light Nansemond and James rivers 36°54′43″N 76°26′42″W / 36.912°N 76.445°W / 36.912; -76.445 1878 1935 Removed ca. 1980
New Point Comfort Light Chesapeake Bay 36°54′43″N 76°26′42″W / 36.912°N 76.445°W / 36.912; -76.445 58 ft (18 m) 1804 1930 1963 Inactive
Newport News Middle Ground Light Newport News 36°56′43″N 76°23′29″W / 36.9452°N 76.3915°W / 36.9452; -76.3915 70 ft (21 m) 1891 1954 Active
Old Plantation Flats Light Cape Charles 37°13′44″N 76°02′49″W / 37.2288°N 76.0469°W / 37.2288; -76.0469 35 ft (11 m) 1886 1962 replaced with skel. tower
Old Point Comfort Light Hampton 37°00′06″N 76°18′23″W / 37.0018°N 76.3064°W / 37.0018; -76.3064 58 ft (18 m) 1802 1972 active
Pages Rock Light York River 37°18′39″N 76°35′12″W / 37.3109°N 76.5866°W / 37.3109; -76.5866 43 ft (13 m) 1893 1960 1967 removed
Point of Shoals Light James River 37°04′06″N 76°39′11″W / 37.0683°N 76.6530°W / 37.0683; -76.6530 1855/1871 1932 1933 house removed
Pungoteague Creek Light Chesapeake Bay 37°39′47″N 75°53′53″W / 37.6630°N 75.8980°W / 37.6630; -75.8980 1854 1856 replaced with automated caisson light
Smith Point Light mouth of Potomac River 37°52′48″N 76°11′02″W / 37.8800°N 76.1839°W / 37.8800; -76.1839 52 ft (16 m) 1802/1897 1971 active
Stingray Point Light mouth of Rappahannock River 37°33′41″N 76°16′12″W / 37.5613°N 76.2700°W / 37.5613; -76.2700 34 ft (10 m) 1858 1965 1965 replaced with skel. tower
Tangier Sound Light Chesapeake Bay 37°47′16″N 75°58′26″W / 37.7878°N 75.9740°W / 37.7878; -75.9740 45 ft (14 m) 1890 1961 replaced with skel. tower
Thimble Shoal Light Chesapeake Bay, north of Hampton Roads 37°00′53″N 76°14′24″W / 37.0146°N 76.2399°W / 37.0146; -76.2399 52 ft (16 m) 1872/1914 1964 active
Tue Marshes Light mouth of York River 37°14′08″N 76°23′09″W / 37.2356°N 76.3859°W / 37.2356; -76.3859 41 ft (12 m) 1875 1960 replaced with skel. tower
Watts Island Light Chesapeake Bay 37°46′55″N 75°53′38″W / 37.782°N 75.894°W / 37.782; -75.894 48 ft (15 m) 1833 1923 1944 destroyed
White Shoal Light James River 37°01′18″N 76°31′39″W / 37.0218°N 76.5275°W / 37.0218; -76.5275 1855/1871 1934 house destroyed by ice in the 1970s;
foundation survives
Windmill Point Light mouth of Rappahannock River 37°35′48″N 76°14′09″W / 37.5968°N 76.2359°W / 37.5968; -76.2359 36 ft (11 m) 1869 1965 replaced with skel. tower
Wolf Trap Light Chesapeake Bay 37°35′48″N 76°14′09″W / 37.5968°N 76.2359°W / 37.5968; -76.2359 52 ft (16 m) 1870/1894 1971 active
York Spit Light mouth of York River 37°12′35″N 76°15′15″W / 37.2096°N 76.2542°W / 37.2096; -76.2542 1870 1960 replaced with post light

Notes

  1. ↑ If there is a second date, it represents the date the most recent tower was lit.
  2. ↑ Re-lit as private Aid to Navigation in 1995

References

  1. ↑ Light List, Volume II, Atlantic Coast, Shrewsbury River, New Jersey to Little River, South Carolina (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2012.
  2. ↑ "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Virginia". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office.
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