Portsmouth Harbor Light
New Castle, New Hampshire | Historic lighthouse
Active aid in USCG Light ListNational RegisterRestricted access (sourced)Tower tours offered (sourced)
About this lighthouse
The lighthouse stands on an active U.S. Coast Guard station in New Castle. The Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse report that ticketed guided tours returned for 2026 after two seasons closed.
The U.S. Coast Guard lists Portsmouth Harbor Light in its current Light List as an aid to navigation, describing the structure as “White conical tower, fog signal house attached”. 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
| Managed / operated by | U.S. Coast Guard station; tours by Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse |
|---|---|
| Navigation status | Listed as an aid to navigation in the current USCG Light List (LLNR 8330) [1] |
| Light characteristic | F G [1] |
| Focal height | 52 ft above water [1] |
| Nominal range | 12 nautical miles [1] |
| Structure (USCG description) | White conical tower, fog signal house attached. [1] |
| National Register | Listed as “Portsmouth Harbor Light” (NRIS 09000816), NPGallery record dated [2] |
| NRHP significant years | 1804 1872 1878 [2] |
| NRHP areas of significance | Maritime History Transportation Architecture Engineering [2] |
| County | Rockingham County |
| Coordinates | 43.07109, -70.70853 [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.
- Whaleback Light — 1.0 mi straight-line (Maine)
- Isles of Shoals Light — 8.4 mi straight-line (New Hampshire)
- Cape Neddick Light — 8.8 mi straight-line (Maine)
- Boon Island Light — 12.2 mi straight-line (Maine)
- Newburyport Harbor Light — 18.5 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)
Sources
- Light List Vol. I entry LLNR 8330 “Portsmouth Harbor (New Castle) 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 09000816: “Portsmouth Harbor Light” — National Park Service, NPGallery (NRHP). https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/09000816 (checked 2026-11-11)
- Wikidata item Q2105290 (used as a lead for coordinates and identifiers) — Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2105290 (checked 2026-11-11)
- Wikipedia article (background reading, not a primary source) — Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portsmouth_Harbor_Light (checked 2026-11-11)
- Tours for 2026 — Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse. https://www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org/open-houses-tours/ (checked 2026-11-11)
Last checked November 11, 2026. Found an error or a closure? Send a correction.