WayfarrowCape Hatteras Lighthouse
Lighthouse · Dare County, North Carolina
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Dare County, North Carolina. North Carolina has 18 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 4 of them in Dare County.
It was built in 1870, in the late 19th century, making it the 7th oldest of the 10 in North Carolina with a recorded construction date; the tower stands about 198 feet tall (the tallest of 8 measured in North Carolina); its light sits 187 feet above the water; the light has a range of about 24 nautical miles; the structure is built of brick.
Status check, 2026-11: This is the second tower at the site. It was first lit December 16, 1870, the light station was moved about 2,900 ft inland in 1999, and it is closed to climbing in 2026 for restoration. The 198.5 ft height comes from NPS; other sources give 208–210 ft because they measure differently. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It stands at 35.2506° N, 75.5288° W.
Key facts
| Current structure built | 1870 |
|---|---|
| Tower height | 198 ft |
| Focal height | 187 ft |
| Range | 24 nautical miles |
| Material | brick |
| Heritage designation | National Historic Landmark |
| National Register | Listed |
| Coordinates | 35.25056, -75.52881 |
Nearby places
- Cape Hatteras Lightlighthouse · Dare County · 0 mi
- Diamond Shoal Lightlighthouse · North Carolina · 14.7 mi
- Ocracoke Lightlighthouse · Hyde County · 27.6 mi
- Portsmouthghost town · Carteret County · 32.7 mi
- Bodie Island Lightlighthouse · Dare County · 39.3 mi
- Roanoke Marshes Lightlighthouse · Dare County · 40 mi
- Buffalo Cityghost town · Dare County · 46.4 mi
- Roanoke Colonyghost town · Dare County · 48.5 mi
- Roanoacghost town · Dare County · 49 mi
Questions
Where is Cape Hatteras Lighthouse?
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is in Dare County, North Carolina, at 35.2506, -75.5288.
How many lighthouses are in Dare County?
Dare County, North Carolina 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.