Wayfarrow

Pottawatomie Light

Lighthouse · Door County, Wisconsin

Pottawatomie Light, Wisconsin
· Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Pottawatomie Light is a lighthouse in Door County, Wisconsin. Wisconsin has 54 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 16 of them in Door County.

It was built in 1858, in the Civil War era, making it the 2nd oldest of the 36 in Wisconsin with a recorded construction date; the tower stands about 41 feet tall (20th tallest of 26 measured in Wisconsin); its light sits 157 feet above the water; the light characteristic is recorded as Fl W 4s (a white flash every 4 seconds), with a range of about 7 nautical miles; it guards Lake Michigan.

Status check, 2026-11: The first lighthouse, from 1836, was badly built and was torn down and replaced in 1858. The building is now a restored museum, and since 1988 the working light has been on a steel tower just to the west. Pottawatomie Light is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It stands at 45.4278° N, 86.8283° W.

Key facts

Current structure built1858
Tower height41 ft
Focal height157 ft
Light characteristicFl W 4s
Range7 nautical miles
Body of waterLake Michigan
Heritage designationNational Register of Historic Places listed place
National RegisterListed
Coordinates45.42778, -86.82833

Open the location on a map

Nearby places

Questions

Where is Pottawatomie Light?

Pottawatomie Light is in Door County, Wisconsin, at 45.4278, -86.8283.

How many lighthouses are in Door County?

Door County, Wisconsin has 16 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow.

Sources and licences

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.