How many lighthouses on the Outer Banks?

The Outer Banks, also known as the North Carolina Outer Banks, are a string of long narrow barrier islands separated from the mainland by the Intracoastal Waterway. It is a popular tourist destination and an important part of North Carolina’s history and is also home to many lighthouses on the Outer Banks.

Number of lighthouses on the Outer Banks NC

The Outer Banks is currently home to 6 lighthouses. The Ocracoke Island Lighthouse is unique on the Outer Banks for its small size and is noteworthy in the state of North Carolina for its age. It’s the oldest lighthouse that is still operational in the state, and the second oldest lighthouse of any kind in North Carolina as well.

Here is a list of the lighthouse on the Outer Banks:

• Currituck Beach Lighthouse, located in Corolla, North Carolina
• Roanoke Marshes Light, located in Manteo, North Carolina
• Bodie Island Lighthouse, located south of Nags Head, North Carolina
• Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, located in Buxton, North Carolina
• Ocracoke Light, located in Ocracoke, North Carolina
• Cape Lookout Lighthouse, located in Carteret County, North Carolina

Currituck Beach Lighthouse

The Currituck Beach Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in North Carolina and is the only one that has not been automated.

The Currituck Beach Lighthouse was built in 1875 after a ship ran aground on the sandbar near the Cape Henry, Virginia coast. It was built to help ships avoid the sandbar which often created dangerous conditions for vessels traveling up and down the coast.

The Currituck Beach Lighthouse is located on a small island off of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The lighthouse was designed by George Meade, who also designed Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and Bodie Island Lighthouse.

Roanoke Marshes Light

An automated light on a smaller tower replaced this one in 1955, but not much is known about it. To the east of a marshy shoal jutting out from the western shore, it designates the southern entry to the canal across Croatan Sound. It is situated at the region’s lowest bottom as a result.

This location has a previous light that first appeared in 1857. This traditional screw-pile-built light was lighted in 1877. A private party made an unsuccessful attempt to move the light after it was deactivated, but the home got lost in the sound.

In Manteo, North Carolina, the Roanoke Island Maritime Museum dedicated a replica of the light in 2004.^[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roanoke_Marshes_Light

Bodie Island Lighthouse

Bodie Island Lighthouse is located on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. It is a popular tourist attraction, with more than 60,000 visitors each year.

The lighthouse was built in 1872 and was commissioned by President Ulysses S. Grant to be used as a navigational aid for ships. The Bodie Island Lighthouse marks the entrance to Oregon Inlet and Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It has been listed as a National Historic Landmark since 1975.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is located at the end of Cape Hatteras, in the town of Buxton, on the North Carolina coast. It is the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States and one of only a few that are still operational. It is often ranked among the most beautiful, and famous lighthouses in the US.

The light was first lit on December 1, 1803. The original lighthouse was made of bricks and had a height of 136 feet (41 meters). In 1870, it was replaced by a taller cast-iron tower with an attached keeper’s house.

Ocracoke Light

The Ocracoke Light is a lighthouse located in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The lighthouse has been around for over 100 years and was built in 1875. It is one of the few remaining lighthouses that are still operational on the Outer Banks.

The Ocracoke Light is a historic landmark, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks. It was also designated as a North Carolina Coastal Treasure by Governor Bev Perdue in 2010.

Ocracoke’s 75′ tall white tower with a steady beacon is the island’s most prominent landmark. Built in 1823 by Noah Porter of Massachusetts for $11,359.35 (this included the keeper’s quarters), the Ocracoke lighthouse is actually the third structure to guide mariners through the often treacherous Ocracoke Inlet.^[2]https://www.villagecraftsmen.com/history-of-the-ocracoke-lighthouse/

Cape Lookout Lighthouse

The Cape Lookout Lighthouse is located on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. It was originally built to warn ships of the treacherous shoals and sandbars off the Outer Banks.

The Cape Lookout Lighthouse was designed and built by Jean-Louis Kerouac, who also designed lighthouses in Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida. The lighthouse is a brick tower with an octagonal cast iron lantern that sits on a stone pier.

The lighthouse was first lit on December 1, 1803. It has been staffed by a keeper and his family since 1804. The light station was automated in 1963, but it still has an active Coast Guard crew that maintains the grounds and provides tours of the lighthouse to visitors.