American Shoal Light

American Shoal Light is an iron lighthouse standing about 7 miles offshore from Sugarloaf Key in the Atlantic Ocean. The structure consists of an octagonal keeper's quarters built on a concrete platform with a skeletal steel tower rising above it.

Congress funded the project in 1880 when the Phoenix Iron Company constructed this lighthouse to warn ships away from treacherous reefs in the Florida Keys. The structure has guided vessels through this dangerous shipping channel for over a century.

The United States Postal Service recognized the maritime significance of American Shoal Light by featuring it on a 25-cent stamp in 1990.

The lighthouse is visible from mile marker 17 on US Route 1 by heading toward Sugarloaf Boulevard and continuing on Route 939A. Since the structure sits on a platform in open water, visitors can only view it from designated shoreline points or boat tours.

In 2016, twenty-four Cuban refugees sought shelter in the lighthouse before the United States Coast Guard transferred them to Guantanamo Bay Naval Station.

Location: Monroe County

GPS coordinates: 24.52513,-81.51944

Latest update: December 10, 2025 20:05