Introduction

Key West is the southernmost island in the Florida Keys, connected to the mainland by the Overseas Highway, the southern stretch of US Route

1. It's the southernmost city in the continental United States, with a genuinely warm, tropical climate that makes it more of a year-round destination than seasonally binary. This guide covers the fundamentals: geography, its most misunderstood landmark, and getting here, with dedicated guides on best time to visit, things to do, restaurants, cafes, and where to stay filling in the rest.

The Southernmost Point, Precisely

The famous buoy at the corner of South and Whitehead Streets is genuinely popular, but it's not literally the southernmost point of the continental United States — it's the southernmost point accessible to the public. The actual southernmost tip of Key West island sits on restricted Navy property at Truman Annex, and the true southernmost point of the contiguous US is Ballast Key, a privately owned island a few miles away with no public access. Worth knowing too: the buoy has been temporarily relocated to Duval Pocket Park during ongoing seawall construction, with a return to its original spot targeted for late 2026 — check current status before planning a photo stop.

A Genuine Year-Round Destination

Key West's tropical climate keeps temperatures warm essentially all year, making it function as a true year-round destination rather than one with a hard seasonal shutdown. The real trade-off is Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June through November with peak risk in September and October.

Distance to Cuba

The "90 miles to Cuba" figure commonly associated with Key West is a rounded approximation — the nearest Cuban coastal point is roughly 90 to 94 miles away, while Havana itself is closer to 105 miles.

Nearest Airport

Key West International Airport (EYW) sits right in town, a few miles from most hotels. It's a genuine regional gateway served by seven carriers — American, Delta, United, JetBlue, Breeze, Allegiant, and Avelo — with nonstop routes to Miami, several Northeast cities, Chicago, Houston, Tampa, Orlando, and a handful of smaller markets. Spirit Airlines briefly began Key West service in late 2025 but ceased all operations nationwide in May 2026, so don't rely on older sources still listing it as a current option.

Practical Tips

• Don't repeat the "southernmost point in the continental US" claim without the "accessible to the public" qualifier — it's genuinely inaccurate without it.

• Check the current status and location of the Southernmost Point buoy before visiting, given ongoing construction.

• See our dedicated guides for best time to visit, things to do, restaurants, cafes, and where to stay.

Sources and Verification Notes

The Southernmost Point buoy's precise claim, and the true southernmost points at Ballast Key and Truman Annex, were checked against multiple independent sources. Distance to Cuba was checked against several distance calculators rather than repeated as a single fixed figure.