WayfarrowWest Chop Light
Lighthouse · Dukes County, Massachusetts
West Chop Light is a lighthouse in Dukes County, Massachusetts. Massachusetts has 81 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 8 of them in Dukes County.
It was built in 1891, in the late 19th century, making it the 36th oldest of the 50 in Massachusetts with a recorded construction date; the tower stands about 45 feet tall (17th tallest of 36 measured in Massachusetts); its light sits 85 feet above the water; the light characteristic is recorded as Oc W 4s, R sector (a white light that briefly goes dark every 4 seconds), with a range of about 10 nautical miles; the structure is built of brick.
Status check, 2026-11: The 1891 brick tower replaced the 1846 stone tower; the station dates to 1817 and was moved back from the eroding bluff in 1830 and 1846. It was automated in 1976. West Chop Light is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It stands at 41.4819° N, 70.6039° W.
Key facts
| Current structure built | 1891 |
|---|---|
| Tower height | 45 ft |
| Focal height | 85 ft |
| Light characteristic | Oc W 4s, R sector |
| Range | 10 nautical miles |
| Material | brick |
| Heritage designation | National Register of Historic Places listed place |
| National Register | Listed |
| Coordinates | 41.48194, -70.60389 |
Nearby places
- East Chop Lightlighthouse · Dukes County · 2.1 mi
- Nobska Lightlighthouse · Barnstable County · 3.7 mi
- Falmouth Inner Lightlighthouse · Barnstable County · 4.2 mi
- Tarpaulin Cove Lightlighthouse · Dukes County · 8 mi
- Edgartown Harbor Lightlighthouse · Dukes County · 8.2 mi
- Cape Poge Lightlighthouse · Dukes County · 9 mi
- Cleveland East Ledge Lightlighthouse · Barnstable County · 11.3 mi
- Wing's Neck Lightlighthouse · Barnstable County · 14.2 mi
- Bird Island Lightlighthouse · Plymouth County · 14.2 mi
- Gay Head Lightlighthouse · Dukes County · 15.1 mi
- Ned Point Lightlighthouse · Plymouth County · 15.3 mi
- Dumpling Rocks Lightlighthouse · Bristol County · 16.9 mi
Questions
Where is West Chop Light?
West Chop Light is in Dukes County, Massachusetts, at 41.4819, -70.6039.
How many lighthouses are in Dukes County?
Dukes County, Massachusetts has 8 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)
- 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.