This is a list of lightships of the United States, listing lightships operated by the United States government. The first US lightship was put in place off of Willoughby Spit

Willoughby Spit

Willoughby Spit is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States. It is bordered by water on three sides: the Chesapeake Bay to the north, Hampton Roads to the west, and Willoughby Bay to the south.- History :...

 in Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...

, Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 in 1820. Lightships remained in service in the United States until March 29, 1985 when the last ship, the Nantucket I, was decommissioned. During that period, lightships were operated by several branches of the government: by the Lighthouse Establishment from 1820 to 1852, the Lighthouse Board

United States Lighthouse Board

The United States Lighthouse Board was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United States...

 from 1852 to 1910, the Lighthouse Service

United States Lighthouse Service

The United States Lighthouse Service, also known as the Bureau of Lighthouses, was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United States from the time of its creation in 1910 until 1939...

 from 1910 to 1939, and the Coast Guard

United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...

 from 1939 to 1985.

The naming conventions used for lightships are not consistent. Until 1867, there was no uniform method to refer to individual lightships. Lightships in that period generally took the name of the station that they served, but occasionally other names. These names were not permanently assigned to an individual vessel. Rather, whenever a lightship was moved to a new station she took on that name. That made identifying individual ships nearly impossible. Beginning in 1867, lightship numbers (hull numbers) were assigned to ships still in service. These numbers are the primary means of identifying individual lightships across her various stations. In 1938, the Lighthouse Service retroactively allocated letter codes to the unnumbered lightships based on their research of available records, although some ships may have been lost or misidentified. Even with the hull numbers, it is common to refer to a lightship by the name of the station it serves (or Relief, if it is a relief ship) and a few, such as the Nantucket I and Nantucket II have been given individual names.

Designation		Start Year		End Year	Stations	Notes
Lightship A	c.	1838	c.	1868			[A]
Lightship B		1821		1861		Sunk by Confederate States Navy Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War... , 1861	[A]
Lightship C		1820	c.	1859			[A]
Lightship D	c.	1854	c.	1860		Sunk or captured by the Confederate States Navy Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War...	[A]
Lightship E	c.	1854	c.	1860		Sunk or captured by the Confederate States Navy Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War...	[A]
Lightship F	c.	1849	after	1860		Formerly USRC McLane	[A]
Lightship G	c.	1865		1866		Abandoned/sunk December 30, 1866	[A]
Lightship H	c.	1828		1864		Formerly President Wrecked at Cape Poge, Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony.... , 1864	[A]
Lightship K	c.	1839	c.	1859			[A]
Lightship L	c.	1835	after	1849			[A]
Lightship M	c.	1826	c.	1855			[A]
Lightship N		1823	c.	1855			[A]
Lightship O	c.	1835		1861		Sunk or captured by the Confederate States Navy Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War...	[A]
Lightship P	c.	1848	after	1848			[A]
Lightship Q		1821	c.	1847			[A]
Lightship R		1847		1867		Formerly USRC Spencer	[A]
Lightship S		1821	after	1821			[A]
Lightship T		1856		1861		Sunk or captured by the Confederate States Navy Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War... , 1861	[A]
Lightship U	c.	1834		1861		Sunk or captured by the Confederate States Navy Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War... , 1861	[A]
Lightship V	c.	1863		1864		Formerly Ascension, captured during the American Civil War American Civil War The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25... Commandeered by United States Navy United States Navy The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...  (July 5, 1863 – March 1864)	[A]
Lightship W	c.	1847		1860		Formerly USRC Legare Sunk by Confederate States Navy Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War... , 1860	[A]
Lightship X		1823	c.	1845		May be Lightship LV-19	[A]
Lightship Y	c.	1857	c.	1861			[A]
Lightship Z		1847	c.	1860			[A]
Lightship AA	c.	1825	c.	1841		Formerly Ceasar May have been converted to a bell boat in 1841, but may have been two ships. (The first retired in 1830.)	[A]
Lightship BB	c.	1841	c.	1852		Possibly USS Florida (1824)	[A]
Lightship DD	c.	1825		1861		Sunk or captured by the Confederate States Navy Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War... , 1861	[A]
Lightship EE	before	1859	c.	1859			[A]
Lightship FF	c.	1831	after	1831			[A]
Lightship GG	c.	1863	c.	1863			[A]
Lightship HH	c.	1828	c.	1862			[A]
Lightship JJ	c.	1825		1861		Sunk or captured by the Confederate States Navy Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War... , 1861	[A]
Lightship KK	c.	1864	c.	1867			[A]
Lightship LL	c.	1821	after	1821			[A]
Lightship MM	c.	1835		1861		Sunk or captured by the Confederate States Navy Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War... , 1861	[A]
Lightship NN	c.	1838	c.	1854			[A]
Lightship PP	c.	1846	c.	1853			[A]
Lightship QQ	c.	1836		1861		Sunk or captured by the Confederate States Navy Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War... , 1861	[A]
Lightship RR	c.	1835	c.	1861			[A]
Lightship SS	c.	1827		1861		Sunk or captured by the Confederate States Navy Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War... , 1861	[A]
Lightship TT	c.	1852	c.	1859			[A]
Lightship UU	c.	1851	c.	1870			[A]
Lightship VV		1823	c.	1829			[A]
Lightship WW		1839	c.	1854			[A]
Lightship XX		1849	c.	1870			[A]
Lightship YY		1832	c.	1851		Formerly Louis Molane	[A]
Lightship ZZ		1820	c.	1823		Also called Aurora Borealis	[A]
Lightship LV-1		1856		1930		Donated to Sea Scouts 1930. Ran aground on the banks of the Merrimack River Merrimack River The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...  in 1936 flood.	[B]
Lightship LV-2		1849		1921		Formerly General Taylor	[B]
Lightship LV-3		1852		1923		Formerly Old Hickory	[B]
Lightship LV-4		1856		1924			[B]
Lightship LV-5		1866		1930			[B]
Lightship LV-6		1862		1918		Disappeared February 4, 1918 in moving ice. Loss of all hands.	[B]
Lightship LV-7		1854		1909			[B]
Lightship LV-8		1860		1879		Originally Thomas G. Haight. Commissioned by the USN United States Navy The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...  as USS Arctic (1855) in the rescue of Elisha Kane Elisha Kane Elisha Kent Kane was a medical officer in the United States Navy during the first half of the 19th century. He was a member of two Arctic expeditions to rescue the explorer Sir John Franklin...  in 1855. Sold to Lighthouse Establishment prior to 1859. Sunk by Confederate States Navy Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War...  in 1860 at Cape Fear River Cape Fear River The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina in the United States. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The overall water quality of the river is continuously measured and monitored by and conducted by the , , and the... . Salvaged by USLHT Iris in 1866 and repaired.	[B]
Lightship LV-9		1858		1925			[B]
		1887		1902		Purchased as a construction barge Barge A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...  for the Lighthouse Service, converted to a lightship in 1887.
Lightship LV-11		1854		1925			[B]
Lightship LV-12	c.	1835		1871		Formerly the Guthrie. Number reassigned in 1871. (See note.)	[C]
Lightship LV-13		1854		1913			[B]
Lightship LV-14		1853		1872		Formerly Ledyard	[B]
Lightship LV-15		1838		1879		Replaced by Stratford Shoal Light Stratford Shoal Light Stratford Shoal Light, officially Stratford Shoal Light, is a lighthouse on a shoal in the middle of Long Island Sound approximately half way between Port Jefferson, New York and Bridgeport, Connecticut.-Location:...  in 1877; Used as a barracks for workers building the Great Beds Light in 1880; Sold at public auction Public auction A public auction is an auction held on behalf of a government in which the property to be auctioned is either property owned by the government, or property which is sold under the authority of a court of law or a government agency with similar authority....  in December 1880 for $1,010	[B]
Lightship LV-16		1854		1935			[B]
Lightship LV-17		1848		1891		Transferred to US Navy in 1891 for use as target practice. Sunk October 15, 1891.	[B]
Lightship LV-18		1839		1875		Transferred to US Navy in 1875 for use as target practice. Presumably sunk.	[B]
Lightship LV-19	c.	1845		1900		May be the same ship as Lightship X. Transferred to US Navy in 1900 for use as target practice. Presumably sunk.	[B]
Lightship LV-20		1867		1923		Sold in 1923 and used by rumrunners during Prohibition Prohibition Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the... . Grounded, abandoned, and eventually burned near Plymouth, Massachusetts.	[B]
Lightship LV-21		1864		1880			[B]
Lightship LV-22	c.	1846		1903		Only lightship to be renumbered. See note.	[C]
Lightship LV-23		1862		1925		Originally A. J. W. Applegarth, acquired by Lightship Service in 1862.	[B]
Lightship LV-24		1864		1869			[B]
Lightship LV-25		1827		1884			[B]
Lightship LV-28		1864		1906			[B]
Lightship LV-29		1865		1915			[B]
Lightship LV-30		1863		1871			[B]
Lightship LV-31		1865		1871		Formerly James Gray, commissioned in the Confederate States Navy Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War...  as CSS Lady Davis CSS Lady Davis CSS Lady Davis was a gunboat in the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War.Originally the Richmond iron steam tug James Gray, built at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1858, Lady Davis was purchased in March 1861 by Governor Francis Wilkinson Pickens of South Carolina, who armed her and... . Captured by the USN United States Navy The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...  in 1865, stripped, and transferred into lightship service.	[B]
Lightship LV-32		1863		1890			[B]
Lightship LV-33		1857		1872			[B]
Lightship LV-34		1866		1924		Sunk due to an accident at Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...  in 1872, recovered. Driven ashore at Long Island Beach, South Carolina during a hurricane, August 28, 1892. Hauled back to sea in 1894.	[B]
Lightship LV-35		1858		1862		Sunk by the Confederate States Navy Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War...   in the Savannah River Savannah River The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the northernmost part of the border... , 1862. Raised in 1866 and intended for lightship duty, but subsequently found to be too damaged.	[D]
Lightship LV-37		1869		1893		April 24, 1874: liberty boat sank near Cold Spring Bar, New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...  killing four crewmembers. Sank on station, August 4, 1893. Four crewmen lost.	[E]
Lightship LV-38		1870		1892			[E]
Lightship LV-39		1875		1935		Struck and damanaged by USS Iowa USS Iowa (BB-4) | The second half of the 19th century saw radical changes in shipbuilding design. Wood-built sailing ships with cannons were replaced by steam-powered warships armored with steel... , August 1905. Sold after 1935. Sank in 1975 near Beverly, Massachusetts Beverly, Massachusetts Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides... .
Lightship LV-71 Diamond Shoal Lightship No. 71 (LV-71) Diamond Shoal Lightship No. 71 was a lightship of the United States Lighthouse Service. She is most remembered for her sinking in 1918 during World War I when a German U-boat attacked her off North Carolina.-Design:...		1897		1918		The only lightship sunk by enemy action.

^ A. Name assigned retroactively in 1938. During her years in service, this ship was referred to exclusively by her station name.

• ^ B. Name/hull number assigned between 1867–70. Previously, she was referred to exclusively by her station name.
• ^ C. LV-12 was assigned to two ships. From circa 1867 to 1871, LV-12 was the former Guthrie and LV-22 was an unnamed Fifth District relief vessel. In 1871, old LV-12 was decommissioned and LV-22 was renumbered LV-12. For clarity, this list refers to her as LV-22 exclusively.
• ^ D. Name/hull number assigned between 1867–68 in anticipation of her return to service, but she was found not fit, condemned, and sold.
• ^ E. Either LV-37 or LV-38 was the first lightship to have launched with a LV designation. Except for the anomalously numbered LV-10 (which would have been 43), all subsequent US lightships were numbered sequentially.