Cape Charles Light
Cape Charles Light is a lighthouse in Virginia, at a modelled elevation of 2 m. Mount Trashmore stands 18 m to the south-southwest, 23 miles off. The nearest named place is Oil House, a lighthouse less than a tenth of a mile away. 4 named summits stand within 25 miles.
This is the third Cape Charles Light, built in 1894, it is no longer active.
The story
Cape Charles Lighthouse is an octagonal cast iron skeleton tower lighthouse at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay on Smith Island which was officially removed from service in 2019. It is the tallest lighthouse in Virginia and the second tallest in the United States.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Dates from 1828.
Wikidata Q5034646, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Built
- 1894
What to expect
How to reach it
Named places within 25 miles
- Fishermans Island National Wildlife Refuge: 3.4 mi
- Cape Charles Historic District: 11.8 mi
- Pennsylvania Railroad Cheriton station: 11.8 mi
- Central Park: 11.8 mi
- Indiantown Recreation Park: 15.5 mi
- François Joseph Paul de Grasse: 14.6 mi
- King Neptune Statue: 18.6 mi
- Norwegian Lady: 19.0 mi
- John Wareing Statue: 19.5 mi
- Barreled: 19.6 mi
- French British Naval Engagement Off the Virginia Capes: 14.6 mi
- First Landing National Memorial: 14.6 mi
- British Naval Blockade and Cape Henry Lighthouse: 14.7 mi
- Cape Henry Railroads: 14.8 mi
- Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week: 18.4 mi
- Smith Island Beach: 1.6 mi
- Myrtle Island Beach: 7.1 mi
- Tankards Beach: 16.3 mi
- Wilkins Beach: 16.7 mi
- Smith Beach: 17.2 mi
- Canonie Atlantic Company Railbox: 11.3 mi
- Naval Aviation Monument: 19.0 mi
- Hideaway Cove: 21.8 mi
- Kiddie City: 21.8 mi
- Gravity Storm: 21.8 mi
- Native Plant Garden: 4.7 mi
- Butterfly Garden: 5.1 mi
- New Roots Youth Garden: 11.5 mi
- Memorial Garden: 12.9 mi
- Prayer of the Blue Skies Community Garden: 19.0 mi
- Cape Charles Museum: 11.5 mi
- The Old Coast Guard Station: 19.1 mi
- The Old Coast Guard Station: 19.1 mi
- Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art: 19.5 mi
- Thoroughgood House Visitor Center: 19.5 mi
- Mockhorn Island State Wildlife Management Area: 3.3 mi
- Magothy Bay Natural Area Reserve: 3.4 mi
- Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge: 3.8 mi
- Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge: 3.9 mi
- Kiptopeke State Park: 5.0 mi
- Oil House: 0.0 mi
- Workshiop: 0.0 mi
- Cape Henry Lighthouse: 14.7 mi
- Old Cape Henry Lighthouse: 14.7 mi
- Old Point Comfort Lighthouse: 23.6 mi
- The Isaacs: 3.8 mi
- White Hill: 16.7 mi
- Encore Hill: 23.5 mi
- Mount Trashmore: 23.5 mi
- Butlers Bluff: 6.1 mi
- White Cliffs: 17.4 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Cape Charles Light. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Trashmore | SSW 211° | 18 m | 23.5 mi |
| White Hill | SSW 203° | 10 m | 16.7 mi |
| The Isaacs | SW 228° | 2 m | 3.8 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:08 | 18:41 | 19:16 |
| June solstice | 05:45 | 19:49 | 20:28 |
| September equinox | 06:52 | 18:28 | 19:02 |
| December solstice | 07:14 | 16:10 | 16:51 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Nov.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 39 | 41 | 47 | 56 | 65 | 74 | 78 | 76 | 71 | 61 | 51 | 43 |
| Precip in | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Cape Charles 5 ENE, 12 mi away.
The nearest NOAA station publishes daily tide predictions.
NOAA CO-OPS station Smith Island (Coast Guard Station), VA, under a mileaway — today’s predictions live there.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
National Register of Historic Places, reference 03000569OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOfficial site- National Register of Historic Places — Cape Charles Light Station, reference 03000569, listed 06/23/03.
OpenStreetMap element node/6538028485
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