Sankaty Head Light
Nantucket, Massachusetts | Historic lighthouse
Active aid in USCG Light ListNational RegisterAccess: verify before visiting
About this lighthouse
The U.S. Coast Guard lists Sankaty Head Light in its current Light List as an aid to navigation, describing the structure as “White tower with red band in the middle”. 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.
Facts panel
| Navigation status | Listed as an aid to navigation in the current USCG Light List (LLNR 555) [1] |
|---|---|
| Structure (USCG description) | White tower with red band in the middle. [1] |
| National Register | Listed as “Sankaty Head Light” (NRIS 87002028), NPGallery record dated [2] |
| NRHP significant years | 1915 1928 [2] |
| NRHP areas of significance | Engineering Transportation Maritime History [2] |
| County | Nantucket County |
| Coordinates | 41.28438, -69.96624 [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.
- Brant Point Light — 6.5 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)
- Nantucket Range Rear Light — 6.5 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)
- Great Point Light — 8.5 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)
- Monomoy Point Light — 19.1 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)
- Bishop and Clerks Light — 24.8 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)
Sources
- Light List Vol. I entry LLNR 555 “Sankaty Head 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 87002028: “Sankaty Head Light” — National Park Service, NPGallery (NRHP). https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/87002028 (checked 2026-11-11)
- Wikidata item Q7418689 (used as a lead for coordinates and identifiers) — Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7418689 (checked 2026-11-11)
- Wikipedia article (background reading, not a primary source) — Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankaty_Head_Light (checked 2026-11-11)
Last checked November 11, 2026. Found an error or a closure? Send a correction.