Matagorda Island Lighthouse, Navigational lighthouse in Calhoun County, United States.

Matagorda Island Lighthouse is a conical cast iron tower standing 24 meters tall on an island off the Texas coast. The structure has guided vessels through the passage to the nearby bay since its original construction.

The Republic of Texas Congress authorized a lighthouse at Pass Cavallo in 1845; after annexation the U.S. Congress funded it in 1847, and the 55-foot cast iron tower, built by Murray and Hazlehurst of Baltimore, began operating on December 21, 1852. Confederate troops damaged it during the Civil War, and it was rebuilt at a new site in 1873 with an iron conical tower costing $32,000. The 1886 Indianola hurricane flooded the tower and shook the lens loose.

The original third-order Fresnel lens, which fell from its mount when the tower swayed in the 1886 Indianola hurricane, is now displayed at the Calhoun County Museum in Port Lavaca. Near the lighthouse lies the burial ground of the keepers and their families.

You need a boat to reach the island where the lighthouse stands, and certain permits are required depending on your planned activities. Plan ahead for travel time and check conditions before visiting.

The light was out of service from 1995 until it was relit at midnight as the year turned to 2000, marking the millennium. The 1999 solar-powered marine lantern installed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department made this possible. The original third-order Fresnel lens is displayed at the Calhoun County Museum in Port Lavaca.