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The government originally erected a fog signal at this site in 1874 as an economy move in hopes of avoiding the high cost of building a lighthouse on Anacapa Island, 11 miles to the southwest. Though Anacapa received a lighthouse in 1932, the light at Point Hueneme remains, even today, essential to navigation with its fog signal warning ships hampered by the fog which is prevalent in this area from July to October.
The light is only 52 feet above sea level, and in the past, encroaching seas and erosion forced the removal of some of the buildings on the site. Owned by the City of Hueneme, the surrounding area is used as a city equipment yard and is not exactly a picturesque setting. It is accessable for viewing by walking north on a pathway, behind the stone breakwater, from the beach area surrounding the Hueneme fishing pier.
The port at Hueneme is the only deep water port between Los Angeles and San Francisco and is used as an entry point for ships carrying new cars from the Pacific rim.