The Southernmost Point is a landmark that supposedly marks the most southern location in the United States. You can find it on the southern coast of the island of Key West at the corner of Whitehead Street and South Street. Marking the spot is a heavy concrete monument that is painted to look like a buoy. Among the wording on the monument is a statement that says the Southernmost Point is only 90 miles from Cuba. It is interesting to note that this is a rounded off number, as Cuba, at its closest point, is closer to 94 miles away.

The marker for the Southernmost Point on the island of Key West doesn’t accurately mark the true southernmost point in the United States. Key West land found both to the east and west of the marker is actually farther south. Topping this is Ballast Key – a privately owned island that is the official southernmost point in Florida, and hence the southernmost point in the continental United States. If you want to take things even further, the Big Island of Hawaii is the true southernmost point in the entire United States.

Basically, the marker at the Southernmost Point on Key West serves to designate the general area as the southernmost part of the continental U.S., and as such, it draws in a high number of tourists. Most tourists who visit the large concrete monument at the Southernmost Point take the opportunity to snap some photos before they leave. Some also interest themselves in the street vendors who are also attracted to the Southernmost Point. These vendors show up during the day and sell conch shells and various other souvenirs. Tip: Since the Southernmost Point in Key West can get crowded as the day wears on, those who want to beat the photo lines can often do so in the morning.

Key West Map

Found near the Southernmost Point on the island of Key West are other things that like to include the word "southernmost" in their names. This includes the Southernmost Hotel near the end of famous Duval Street. Also worth noting is that the Southernmost Point monument is just a short walk from such other renowned Key West attractions as the Hemingway House, the Lighthouse Museum, and Fort Zachary Taylor Park.