New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide

Portland Head Light

Cape Elizabeth, Maine

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© 2007 Jeremy D'Entremont

Location: Portland Harbor / Casco Bay

Nearest town: Cape Elizabeth, Maine

43 37 24 N
70 12 30 W

MapQuest Link

Accessibility: There is free parking near the lighthouse. The lighthouse tower is not open to the public, but there is a museum in the keeper's house. For directions and hours visit the website of The Museum at Portland Head Light

Station established: 1791; Present lighthouse built: 1791; Automated: 1989

Construction materials: Stone with brick lining

Height of tower: 80 feet; Height of focal plane: 101 feet

 Earlier optic: Fourth-order Fresnel (1855); Second-order Fresnel (1864); Fourth-order Fresnel (1883); Second-order Fresnel (1885); Present optic: DCB-224

Characteristic: Flashing white every four seconds.

Fog signal: One blast every 15 seconds.

Click here to hear Portland Head's fog signal

Other buildings still standing: 1891 keeper's house, 1975 reconstructed fog signal building, 1891 oil house, garage

Active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation. Museum in the keeper's house maintained by:

The Museum at Portland Head Light
1000 Shore Road
Cape Elizabeth, Maine 04107
(207) 799-2661

Related sites

Portland Press Herald

Maine.info: Resources for Maine Travel & Living

Portland, Maine Resource Guide

Previous lighthouse: Cape Elizabeth Light

Next lighthouse: Ram Island Ledge Light

Click here to buy a Harbour Lights replica of Portland Head Light

Click here to buy a " This Little Lighthouse of Mine" replica of Portland Head Light

Buy this beautiful poster

Buy a beautiful art print of Portland Head Light

Buy a print of a painting of Portland Head Light by Douglas Brega

The Lighthouses & Lightships of Casco Bay by Peter Dow Bachelder

Click for Portland, Maine Forecast


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© 1997-2008 Jeremy D'Entremont. Do not reproduce any images or text from this website without permission of the author.