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Address Whitehead St & South St, Key West, FL 33040, USA Hours Open today ยท Open 24 hoursTuesdayOpen 24 hoursWednesdayOpen 24 hoursThursdayOpen 24 hoursFridayOpen 24 hoursSaturdayOpen 24 hoursSundayOpen 24 hoursMondayOpen 24 hoursSuggest an edit Similar Mallory Square, Ernest Hemingway House, Key West Butterfly and Natur, Key West, Fort Zachary Taylor Hi | ||
Southernmost point buoy
The Southernmost Point Buoy is an anchored concrete buoy in Key West, Florida marking the southernmost point in the continental United States. The large painted buoy is a tourist attraction established in 1983 by the city at the corner of South Street and Whitehead Street. Cuba is 90 miles south of this point in Key West. The southernmost point was originally just marked with a small sign, which was often moved or taken, the City of Key West erected the now famous concrete buoy in 1983. Today it is one of the most visited and photographed attractions in Key West.
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Accuracy
The actual southernmost point in Florida (as well as in the continental United States) is actually 10 miles away at Ballast Key, a privately owned island south and west of Key West. Signs on that island strictly prohibit unauthorized visitors. Land on the Truman Annex property just west-southwest of the buoy is the true southernmost point on the island, (approximately 900 feet (270 m) farther south), but it has no marker since it is U.S. Navy property and cannot be entered by civilian tourists. The southernmost part of Key West Island accessible to civilians is the beach area of Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park at approximately 24.545142 N, -81.80964 W, and approximately 500 feet (150 m) farther south than the marker.
The claim on the buoy stating "90 miles to Cuba" is a rounded number, since Cuba, at its closest point is 94 statute (81 nautical) miles due south.
In popular culture
In Callahan's Key (2001) by Spider Robinson it is noted that "The famous, oft-photographed marker at The Southernmost Point...is not."
A subplot of Robert Tacoma's second novel, Key Weirder (2005), involves an interstate dispute over where the true southernmost point is located, and, therefore, where the monument should be placed.