Southernmost Point & Key West Guides

We watch the Southernmost Point every hour of every day, and these guides collect what we have learned along the way. Here you will find directions, history, fact-checks of the buoy’s famous claims, the best times to visit, weather through the seasons and tips for getting the most out of the webcam. Whether you are planning a trip to Key West or watching from thousands of miles away, start here.

• Southernmost Point Buoy Location, Directions & Parking: where the buoy is, how to walk or ride there, where to park, and where the temporary replica stands during construction.
• Best Time to Visit the Southernmost Point: the hours, days and seasons with the shortest lines, plus photo tips.
• Sunrise & Sunset at the Southernmost Point: monthly sunrise and sunset times and the best places to watch.
• A Walking Tour from the Southernmost Point: a two-mile, self-guided route from the buoy to Mallory Square.
• Visiting the Southernmost Point: the quick essentials for your trip.

• History of the Southernmost Point Buoy: from wooden signs and a cable hut to the 1983 concrete marker and its hurricane repairs.
• Is It Really the Southernmost Point?: Ballast Key, Whitehead Spit and what “continental” really means.
• Is Cuba Really 90 Miles Away?: statute miles vs. nautical miles, and whether you can see Cuba from the buoy.
• Key West’s Other “Southernmost” Landmarks: the Southernmost House, Mile 0 and more.
• Construction & Restoration Updates: the seawall and plaza project and when the buoy is expected back.