New London Harbor Light

New London, Connecticut | Historic lighthouse

Active aid in USCG Light ListNational RegisterTower tours offered (sourced)

About this lighthouse

The New London Maritime Society says it gives year-round tours of New London Harbor Light (climbing 116 steps to the lantern room) and dates the light's first lighting to November 7, 1761.

The U.S. Coast Guard lists New London Harbor Light in its current Light List as an aid to navigation, describing the structure as “White octagonal pyramidal tower”. Light List entries describe the light for mariners; they do not say whether the site is open to visitors.

The structure is recorded in the National Register of Historic Places. A National Register listing documents historic significance. It does not mean the public can visit.

Awaiting verification: Wikidata gives 1760 as the year this station or structure was established. We have not yet confirmed this against a primary source, so it is not shown as a fact. See the Wikidata lead.

Facts panel

Sourced facts about New London Harbor Light
Managed / operated by	New London Maritime Society
Navigation status	Listed as an aid to navigation in the current USCG Light List (LLNR 21845) [1]
Light characteristic	Iso W 6s [1]
Focal height	90 ft above water [1]
Nominal range	17 nautical miles [1]
Structure (USCG description)	White octagonal pyramidal tower. [1]
National Register	Listed as “New London Harbor Lighthouse” (NRIS 89001470), NPGallery record dated 5/29/1990 [2]
NRHP significant years	1801 1833 1864 [2]
NRHP areas of significance	Engineering Transportation [2]
County	New London County
Coordinates	41.31666, -72.08997 [3]

Getting there

Directions should target a legal public viewing location. We have not verified a public viewpoint or parking area for this light yet, so check the official source before you go.

Map © OpenStreetMap contributors. Open larger map. The pin marks the lighthouse position, not a parking area or a permitted viewpoint.

Accessibility

We have no verified accessibility information for this site yet. Contact the site manager before your visit if you need step-free access.

Nearby lights

Straight-line distance between lighthouse positions, not a driving time or route.

New London Ledge Light — 1.0 mi straight-line (Connecticut)
Avery Point Light — 1.4 mi straight-line (Connecticut)
Stonington Harbor Light — 9.6 mi straight-line (Connecticut)
Watch Hill Light — 12.1 mi straight-line (Rhode Island)
Lynde Point Light — 13.5 mi straight-line (Connecticut)

Sources

Light List Vol. I entry LLNR 21845 “New London Harbor Light” — U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (weekly edition 11/11/2026). https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/weekly-light-lists (checked 2026-11-11)
National Register of Historic Places record 89001470: “New London Harbor Lighthouse” — National Park Service, NPGallery (NRHP). https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/89001470 (checked 2026-11-11)
Wikidata item Q7009889 (used as a lead for coordinates and identifiers) — Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7009889 (checked 2026-11-11)
Wikipedia article (background reading, not a primary source) — Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_London_Harbor_Light (checked 2026-11-11)
New London Maritime Society (home page) — New London Maritime Society. https://nlmaritimesociety.org/ (checked 2026-11-11)

Last checked November 11, 2026. Found an error or a closure? Send a correction.