Old Point Comfort Light
Lighthouse · Hampton County, Virginia

Old Point Comfort Light is a lighthouse in Hampton County, Virginia. Virginia has 36 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 3 of them in Hampton County.
It was built in 1802, in the first half of the 19th century, making it the 2nd oldest of the 14 in Virginia with a recorded construction date; its light sits 54 feet above the water; the light characteristic is recorded as FI(2) R 12s, W sector, with a range of about 16 nautical miles; it guards Chesapeake Bay.
Status check, 2026-11: The octagonal stone tower is still an active light at Fort Monroe and most sources date the present tower to 1802 (one says 1802/1803). One Fort Monroe page also claims a brick replacement in 1823, which contradicts its own description of the stone tower, so 1802 is the best-supported year rather than a certain one. Height is left null because sources give both 54 ft and 58 ft. Old Point Comfort Light is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It stands at 37.0017° N, 76.3069° W.
Key facts
| Current structure built | 1802 |
|---|---|
| Focal height | 54 ft |
| Light characteristic | FI(2) R 12s, W sector |
| Range | 16 nautical miles |
| Body of water | Chesapeake Bay |
| Heritage designation | National Register of Historic Places contributing property |
| National Register | Listed |
| Coordinates | 37.00167, -76.30694 |
Nearby places
- Pine Beachghost town · Norfolk (city) County · 3.7 mi
- Thimble Shoal Lightlighthouse · Hampton County · 3.8 mi
- Newport News Middle Ground Lightlighthouse · Newport News County · 6.1 mi
- Back River Lightlighthouse · Hampton County · 6.3 mi
- Tanners Cross Roadsghost town · Norfolk (city) County · 6.7 mi
- Craney Island Lightlighthouse · Portsmouth County · 7.8 mi
- Messickghost town · Poquoson (city) County · 8.5 mi
- Lambert Point Lightlighthouse · Norfolk County · 8.9 mi
- Ruxtonghost town · Norfolk (city) County · 9.3 mi
- Nansemond River Lightlighthouse · Suffolk County · 9.8 mi
- Fox Hallghost town · Norfolk (city) County · 9.8 mi
- White Shoal Lightlighthouse · Newport News County · 12.3 mi
Questions
Where is Old Point Comfort Light?
Old Point Comfort Light is in Hampton County, Virginia, at 37.0017, -76.3069.
How many lighthouses are in Hampton County?
Hampton County, Virginia 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.