WayfarrowOld Cape Henry Lighthouse
Lighthouse · Virginia Beach County, Virginia
Old Cape Henry Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Virginia Beach County, Virginia. Virginia has 36 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 2 of them in Virginia Beach County.
It was built in 1792, in the colonial and early republic era, making it the oldest of the 14 in Virginia with a recorded construction date; the tower stands about 90 feet tall (4th tallest of 6 measured in Virginia).
Status check, 2026-11: This sandstone tower from 1791–92 was the first lighthouse built by the federal government. It was taken out of service in 1881 when the new tower was lit. Old Cape Henry Lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It stands at 36.9258° N, 76.0081° W.
Key facts
| Current structure built | 1792 |
|---|---|
| Tower height | 90 ft |
| Heritage designation | National Historic Landmark |
| National Register | Listed |
| Coordinates | 36.92580, -76.00812 |
Nearby places
- Cape Henry Lightlighthouse · Virginia Beach County · 0.1 mi
- New Townghost town · Norfolk (city) County · 12.4 mi
- Tanners Cross Roadsghost town · Norfolk (city) County · 13.5 mi
- Ruxtonghost town · Norfolk (city) County · 13.8 mi
- Fox Hallghost town · Norfolk (city) County · 13.9 mi
- Thimble Shoal Lightlighthouse · Hampton County · 14.2 mi
- Cape Charles Lightlighthouse · Northampton County · 14.7 mi
- Chesapeake Lightlighthouse · Virginia · 16.4 mi
- Old Point Comfort Lightlighthouse · Hampton County · 17.3 mi
- Pine Beachghost town · Norfolk (city) County · 17.8 mi
- Lambert Point Lightlighthouse · Norfolk County · 18.2 mi
- Back River Lightlighthouse · Hampton County · 18.3 mi
Questions
Where is Old Cape Henry Lighthouse?
Old Cape Henry Lighthouse is in Virginia Beach County, Virginia, at 36.9258, -76.0081.
How many lighthouses are in Virginia Beach County?
Virginia Beach County, Virginia has 2 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)
- Wikidata — Wikidata item (CC0)
- National Register of Historic Places — National Register of Historic Places record (public-domain)
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.