Prudence Island Light

Portsmouth, Rhode Island | Historic lighthouse

Active aid in USCG Light ListNational RegisterAccess: verify before visiting

About this lighthouse

The U.S. Coast Guard lists Prudence Island Light in its current Light List as an aid to navigation, describing the structure as “White octagonal 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 1852 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 Prudence Island Light
Navigation status	Listed as an aid to navigation in the current USCG Light List (LLNR 18125) [1]
Light characteristic	Fl G 6s [1]
Focal height	28 ft above water [1]
Nominal range	6 nautical miles [1]
Structure (USCG description)	White octagonal tower. [1]
National Register	Listed as “Prudence Island Lighthouse” (NRIS 88000270), NPGallery record dated 3/30/1988 [2]
NRHP significant years	1851 [2]
NRHP areas of significance	Transportation Architecture [2]
County	Newport County
Coordinates	41.60586, -71.30353 [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.

Hog Island Shoal Light — 2.4 mi straight-line (Rhode Island)
Bristol Ferry Light — 3.4 mi straight-line (Rhode Island)
Conanicut Island Light — 4.2 mi straight-line (Rhode Island)
Warwick Light — 5.7 mi straight-line (Rhode Island)
Plum Beach Light — 7.4 mi straight-line (Rhode Island)

Sources

Light List Vol. I entry LLNR 18125 “Prudence Island 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 88000270: “Prudence Island Lighthouse” — National Park Service, NPGallery (NRHP). https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/88000270 (checked 2026-11-11)
Wikidata item Q7252958 (used as a lead for coordinates and identifiers) — Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7252958 (checked 2026-11-11)
Wikipedia article (background reading, not a primary source) — Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prudence_Island_Light (checked 2026-11-11)

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