The 20 Oldest Lighthouses in California

Ranked by the construction year of the structure standing today, for every lighthouse in California that we could confirm is still standing. Farallon Island Light leads, built 1855; number 20 is Point Arena Light, built 1908. Dates or measurements marked uncertain in the source are left out rather than guessed Each entry was checked against current sources (park services, historic registers, preservation societies), and anything demolished, replaced or uncertain is left out. Each entry links to its own page with coordinates, sources and image licences.

1. 

   1. Farallon Island Light

   Built 1855 · San Francisco County, California

   Photo: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

2. 

   2. Old Point Loma lighthouse

   Built 1855 · San Diego County, California · National Register

   Photo: Frank Schulenburg / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

3. 

   3. Point Pinos Lighthouse

   Built 1855 · Monterey County, California · National Register

   Photo: Frank Schulenburg / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

4. 

   4. Battery Point Light

   Built 1856 · Del Norte County, California · National Register

   Photo: Kathleen Franklin from Marysville, CA, USA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

5. 

   5. Fort Point Light, San Francisco

   Built 1864 · San Francisco County, California

   Photo: Frank Schulenburg / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

6. 

   6. Point Reyes Lighthouse

   Built 1870 · Marin County, California · National Register

   Photo: Frank Schulenburg / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

7. 

   7. Trinidad Head Light

   Built 1871 · Humboldt County, California · National Register

   Photo: Scott D. Sullivan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)

8. 

   8. Pigeon Point Lighthouse

   Built 1872 · San Mateo County, California · National Register

   Photo: Frank Schulenburg / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

9. 9. Point Fermin Light

   Built 1874 · Los Angeles County, California · National Register

10. 10. Piedras Blancas Light Station

    Built 1875 · San Luis Obispo County, California · National Register

11. 11. Yerba Buena Light

    Built 1875 · San Francisco County, California · National Register

12. 

    12. Point Bonita Lighthouse

    Built 1877 · Marin County, California · National Register

    Photo: Allan J. Cronin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

13. 

    13. Point Montara Light

    Built 1881 · San Mateo County, California · National Register

    Photo: Frank Schulenburg / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

14. 14. Point Conception Light

    Built 1882 · Santa Barbara County, California · National Register

15. 

    15. Lime Point Light

    Built 1883 · Marin County, California

    Photo: Photograph: Radomianin / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

16. 

    16. Point Sur Lighthouse

    Built 1889 · Monterey County, California · National Register

    Photo: Frank Schulenburg / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

17. 17. Point San Luis Light

    Built 1890 · San Luis Obispo County, California · National Register

18. 

    18. New Point Loma Lighthouse

    Built 1891 · San Diego County, California · National Register

    Photo: United States Coast Guard / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

19. 19. St. George Reef Light

    Built 1892 · Del Norte County, California · National Register

20. 20. Point Arena Light

    Built 1908 · Mendocino County, California · National Register

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