The United States of America is a federal union of 50 states and a capital district. The state of Kansas is in the center of the country, far from the coasts. The Missouri River, flowing along the northeastern border of Kansas, is the only navigable waterway touching the state. The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River, based in St. Louis, Missouri, is responsible for navigation aids on the river. When Kansas Territory was created in 1854 it included portions of modern Oklahoma and Colorado. The state, with its present boundaries, was admitted to the Union as the 34th state in 1861. To be listed in the Directory, a lighthouse must actually serve as an aid to navigation. This means it must be located on a navigable lake or river and must be lit as a navigational aid at least during the local boating season. USCG numbers are from Volume 5 of the U.S. Coast Guard List of Lights.
Information available on lost lighthouses: Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: North: Nebraska | East: Missouri | South: Oklahoma |
Kansas City Water Intake Light, Kansas City, May 2013 photo copyright Warren White; used by permission |
Posted July 31, 2013. Checked and revised October 1, 2023. Lighthouses: 1. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.