WayfarrowPooles Island Light
Lighthouse · Harford County, Maryland
Pooles Island Light is a lighthouse in Harford County, Maryland. Maryland has 50 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 3 of them in Harford County.
It was built in 1825, in the first half of the 19th century, making it the oldest of the 27 in Maryland with a recorded construction date; the tower stands about 40 feet tall (3rd tallest of 8 measured in Maryland); its light sits 44 feet above the water; the light characteristic is recorded as Fl (4+3) W 16s; it guards Chesapeake Bay; it was deactivated in 1939.
Status check, 2026-11: Oldest lighthouse still standing in Maryland, on a restricted Army island (Aberdeen Proving Ground); National Register gives 40 ft 6 in total height, while the Coast Guard lists 38 ft above mean high water. Pooles Island Light is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is not reachable by road: the nearest road is about 3 miles away, so it is seen from shore or reached by water. It stands at 39.2904° N, 76.2663° W.
Key facts
| Current structure built | 1825 |
|---|---|
| Tower height | 40 ft |
| Focal height | 44 ft |
| Light characteristic | Fl (4+3) W 16s |
| Deactivated | 1939 |
| Body of water | Chesapeake Bay |
| Heritage designation | National Register of Historic Places listed place |
| National Register | Listed |
| Coordinates | 39.29044, -76.26633 |
Nearby places
- Craighill Channel Lower Range Rear Lightlighthouse · Baltimore County · 8.1 mi
- Denbighghost town · Kent County · 9.3 mi
- Airport Beachghost town · Baltimore County · 9.4 mi
- Bayshoreghost town · Baltimore County · 9.8 mi
- Craighill Channel Lower Range Front Lightlighthouse · Baltimore County · 9.8 mi
- Bay Shore Parkghost town · Baltimore County · 10.3 mi
- Harrisburgghost town · Kent County · 10.7 mi
- Fitzellghost town · Baltimore County · 11.4 mi
- Craighill Channel Upper Range Front Lightlighthouse · Baltimore County · 11.7 mi
- Craighill Channel Upper Range Rear Lightlighthouse · Baltimore County · 11.7 mi
- North Point Range Lightslighthouse · Baltimore County · 11.7 mi
- Penwood Parkghost town · Baltimore County · 11.8 mi
Questions
Where is Pooles Island Light?
Pooles Island Light is in Harford County, Maryland, at 39.2904, -76.2663.
How many lighthouses are in Harford County?
Harford County, Maryland has 3 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow.
- Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
- Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
- Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
- Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
- Wikidata — Wikidata item (CC0)
- National Register of Historic Places — National Register of Historic Places record (public-domain)
- Wikidata — Wikipedia article (linked as a source; text not used) (CC0)
Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.