Lighthouses · The Deep End of the Chain
Lake Ontario Lighthouses
19 lights on the New York shore, the earliest on record established in 1820. 11 are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Lighthouses
19
On the National Register
11
Earliest on record
1820
Deactivated
14
The long watch
Earliest established on Ontario
By the founding date on record. Most stations were rebuilt at least once; the tower you see may be younger.
Galloo Island Light
Stone · dark since 2011 · National Register
Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse
39-foot tower · stone · dark since 1881 · National Register
Sodus Point Light
46-foot tower · dark since 1901 · National Register
Horse Island Light
69-foot tower · limestone · dark since 1957
Selkirk Light
Dark since 1858 · National Register
Sunken Rock Light
30-foot tower
Lake Ontario lighthouses in New York 19
Jefferson County 8
- Cape Vincent LightEst. 1901 · Dark 1951
- East Charity Shoal LightCape VincentEst. 1877 · 39 ft tower · NRHP
- Galloo Island LightHounsfieldEst. 1820 · Dark 2011 · NRHP
- Horse Island LightEst. 1831 · 69 ft tower · Dark 1957
- Rock Island LightOrleansEst. 1848 · 30 ft tower · Dark 1956 · NRHP
- Stony Point Light72 ft tower · Dark 1945
- Sunken Rock LightEst. 1847 · 30 ft tower
- Tibbetts Point LightCape Vincent59 ft tower · NRHP
Monroe County 2
- Braddock Point LightEst. 1896 · 49 ft tower · Dark 1954
- Charlotte-Genesee LighthouseRochesterEst. 1822 · 39 ft tower · Dark 1881 · NRHP
Niagara County 3
- Fort Niagara LightYoungstownEst. 1872 · Dark 1993 · NRHP
- Olcott LightEst. 1873 · 27 ft tower · Dark 1932
- Thirty Mile Point LightEst. 1876 · Dark 1959 · NRHP
Orleans County 1
- Oak Orchard LightEst. 1871 · 34 ft tower · Dark 1905
Oswego County 2
- Oswego Harbor West Pierhead LightEst. 1880 · 39 ft tower · NRHP
- Selkirk LightEst. 1838 · Dark 1858 · NRHP
St. Lawrence County 1
- Crossover Island LightEst. 1848 · Dark 1941 · NRHP
Wayne County 2
- Sodus Outer LightEst. 1858 · 49 ft tower
- Sodus Point LightEst. 1825 · 46 ft tower · Dark 1901 · NRHP
Beyond the lights
More on Lake Ontario
How many lighthouses are on Lake Ontario?
This directory lists 19 lighthouses on the U.S. shore of Lake Ontario and its connecting waters, in New York. That counts towers, pierhead and breakwater lights and range lights that have their own public record; it leaves out unrecorded minor aids. Canadian lights are not included.
What is the oldest lighthouse on Lake Ontario?
By the earliest established date on record: Galloo Island Light (1820), Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse (1822), Sodus Point Light (1825). Many stations were rebuilt, so the tower standing today is often younger than the station's founding date.
What is the tallest lighthouse on Lake Ontario?
Among lights with a recorded tower height: Stony Point Light at about 72 feet, Horse Island Light at about 69 feet, Tibbetts Point Light at about 59 feet. Not every light has a height on record, so this is the tallest we can document, not a full survey.
Can you go inside Lake Ontario lighthouses?
Some, not all. Many are run by parks, museums or volunteer societies that open the tower in season; pierhead and offshore lights are usually closed or reachable only by boat. Each lighthouse page links to its fuller history and, where one exists, the operator. Check with them before you go.
Data from Wikidata (CC0), retrieved 2026-10-09; National Register references link to NPS NPGallery. Shoreline from Natural Earth (public domain). Charts are not for navigation. Corrections to contact@greatamericanlakes.com.