Chesapeake Light

Chesapeake Light is a steel tower standing 37 meters tall in Chesapeake Bay near Virginia Beach, equipped with xenon gas lighting and automated navigation systems. The structure sits on a platform in the water and marks the entrance to the bay for passing vessels.

This structure was built in 1965, replacing a series of lightships that had marked this strategic location since the 1930s. The shift from manned to automated systems represented a major step in modernizing American coastal navigation.

The structure represents maritime navigation advancement, transitioning from manned lightships to automated tower systems in American coastal waters.

The site is accessible only by helicopter, since it sits on a platform far out in the water. Visitors can view the structure from ships or boats that pass nearby in the bay.

Since 1999, NASA has used instruments mounted on the tower for the Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System project. The tower thereby collects data on earth's radiation and cloud formation alongside its navigation duties.

Location: Virginia Beach

Height: 37 m

GPS coordinates: 36.90464,-75.71273

Latest update: December 10, 2025 15:51