Hereford Inlet Lighthouse
Lighthouse · Cape May County, New Jersey

Hereford Inlet Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Cape May County, New Jersey. New Jersey has 26 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 4 of them in Cape May County.
It was built in 1874, in the late 19th century, making it the 6th oldest of the 19 in New Jersey with a recorded construction date; the tower stands about 50 feet tall (9th tallest of 13 measured in New Jersey); its light sits 56 feet above the water; the light characteristic is recorded as Fl W 10s (a white flash every 10 seconds), with a range of about 24 nautical miles; it guards Hereford Inlet; the recorded designer or builder is Paul J. Pelz.
Status check, 2026-11: The building was moved 150 ft west after an August 1913 storm damaged its foundation. The tower is 49.5 ft tall, and the 57 ft figure often quoted is the light's height above sea level. Hereford Inlet Lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It stands at 39.0067° N, 74.7922° W.
Key facts
| Current structure built | 1874 |
|---|---|
| Tower height | 50 ft |
| Focal height | 56 ft |
| Light characteristic | Fl W 10s |
| Range | 24 nautical miles |
| Body of water | Hereford Inlet |
| Designer / builder | Paul J. Pelz |
| Heritage designation | National Register of Historic Places listed place |
| National Register | Listed |
| Coordinates | 39.00667, -74.79222 |
Nearby places
- South Cape Mayghost town · Cape May County · 9.5 mi
- Cape May Lighthouselighthouse · Cape May County · 10.4 mi
- Ludlam's Beach Lightlighthouse · Cape May County · 12 mi
- Brandywine Shoal Lightlighthouse · Cape May County · 17.3 mi
- East Point Lightlighthouse · Cumberland County · 18.2 mi
- Harbor of Refuge Lightlighthouse · Sussex County · 20.9 mi
- Fourteen Foot Bank Lightlighthouse · Kent County · 21.2 mi
- Cape Henlopen Beaconlighthouse · Sussex County · 21.6 mi
- Delaware Breakwater East End Lightlighthouse · Sussex County · 22 mi
- Cape Henlopen Lightlighthouse · Sussex County · 22.3 mi
- Miah Maull Shoal Lightlighthouse · Cumberland County · 23.9 mi
- Delaware Breakwater Range Front Lightlighthouse · Sussex County · 24.8 mi
Questions
Where is Hereford Inlet Lighthouse?
Hereford Inlet Lighthouse is in Cape May County, New Jersey, at 39.0067, -74.7922.
How many lighthouses are in Cape May County?
Cape May County, New Jersey has 4 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.