Guage says 210, but hood extremely hot

Hey - I just bought my first Jeep, a 1998 XJ with 105,000 miles. I love it. I know that 210 is a normal temp, and thats where mine runs. but the hood is extremely hot. Anytime someone opens the hood to look inside, they are surprised and have to get a rag to open it with.

Is that normal, or could it be running hotter than the gauge says? BTW, The fans seem to be working fine. And the previous owner says it was flushed about 3,000 miles ago. Thanks, Rob

Normal. You can verify your gauge is correct with a IR thermometer pointed at the thermostat housing on the front of the head.

Thanks, thats good to know.

I love the Jeep! I drive by other Jeep owners and wave, but they drive by like I'm crazy. Even some of the Wrangler guys. I guess its just the XJ guys who feel like they're part of something special.

Yep, that's normal. As notamos said, you can verify at the thermostat housing with an IR thermometer, but the hood is always hot, and if you add summer temps and sunshine to the mix, it's not uncommon for the hood to be that hot.