Jupiter Inlet

About the Jupiter Inlet:

Jupiter Inlet is the point at which the Loxahatchee River empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Intracoastal Waterway Mile 1005. Jupiter is a hub of yachting activity with the Lighthouse right near where the Intracoastal Waterway meets up with the Loxahatchee River.

History:

Spanish explorers named the river running into the inlet the Jobe River, after the Native American tribe that lived here. Later, when English settlers found the area around 1763, Jobe sounded to them like the mythological god Jove or Jupiter, and the name Jupiter stuck.

The Jupiter lighthouse was erected near the inlet in the 1800s. The Lighthouse stands 146 feet tall on the north shore of the Jupiter Inlet. The land that is now Lighthouse Park was once a part of Fort Jupiter, a military installation that was formed during the Seminole Indian Wars.

Navigating the Water:

Use NOAA Chart 11472.

The Jupiter Inlet, although frequently dredged and the site of many jetty and reclamation projects experiences constant problems from shifting shoals and shallow areas. The current version of NOAA Chart 11472 advises that the inlet should not be attempted without advance local knowledge of the present hazards and shoals in the inlet channel.

The outer breakwall jetties are marked with fixed lights, but they are no indication of where the deepest water lies. Only attempt the inlet if your boat has a shoal draft, with advanced local knowledge, and preferably behind a locally hailed boat.

Inside the inlet are three different routes. To starboard, just after you clear, the inlet is the opening to Jupiter Sound, where the Intracoastal Waterway heads north. Straight back from the inlet, the Intracoastal Waterway continues back on the Loxahatchee River until it bends sharply south at the old railroad swing bridge.

Local Notices to Mariners:

Local Notices to Mariners are available online from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Lat / Lon: N 26° 56.878′ / W 080° 04.713′

DISCLAIMER: This Waterway Guide provides Navigation Alerts as a resource for planning purposes only and does not warrant the information included in the postings as accurate. Advice and descriptions contained in the alerts are not for navigation.