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Southernmost Point Buoy, Key West, FL

Photo: Radomianin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingIconicQuirky FunFree

Southernmost Point Buoy

1499 Duval St · Key West, FL

Why you should go…

The Southernmost Point Buoy is a 12-foot painted concrete marker the city of Key West set up in 1983 at the corner of South and Whitehead Streets, replacing an earlier wooden sign. Its lettering reads The Conch Republic, 90 Miles to Cuba and Southernmost Point Continental U.S.A. While seawall repairs run at that corner, a temporary buoy stands at the south end of Duval Street. Despite the name, the beach at nearby Fort Zachary Taylor reaches about 500 feet farther south.

  • #landmark
  • #photo spot
  • #key west
  • #southernmost point
  • #roadside attraction

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Southernmost Point Buoy, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums
    Iconic

    The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum

    Under $25

    Tour the Key West house where Hemingway wrote in the 1930s and meet the six-toed cats that roam its gardens.

    0.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Duval Street

    Free

    Walk Key West's main street from the Gulf to the Atlantic past bars, galleries, shops and Victorian mansions.

    0.6 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Harry S. Truman Little White House

    Under $25

    Take a guided tour of the 1890 Navy house where President Truman spent 175 days, with original furnishings and his desk.

    1.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Tours
    Iconic

    Historic Tours of America

    $50+

    Hop on hop off Old Town Trolley Tours and themed historic tours of Key West.

    1.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Mallory Square

    Free

    Join the nightly Sunset Celebration on Key West's waterfront plaza, with street performers, craft vendors and food carts.

    1.2 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Seven Mile Bridge

    Free

    Cross nearly seven miles of open water on US 1, or walk and bike the restored old span out to Pigeon Key.

    40 mi awayMore like this