Why go
The Southernmost Point buoy offers a way to examine how Key West presents its place on the map, even though the painted claim is symbolic rather than a precise geographic boundary. Old Town's raised wooden houses, porches and shutters tell a more detailed story of the island than a single landmark. White Street Pier offers a public look out over the southern shoreline.
The full story
The painted concrete buoy was installed at South and Whitehead Streets in 1983. Its words make a tidy claim, but the geography is less tidy: other pieces of land around Key West lie farther south, and some are restricted or private. The marker works best as a symbol of the island's position near Cuba rather than a survey point. Old Town offers a different way to understand Key West. The original settlement grew on the western part of the island, around places such as Mallory Square, Duval Street and the Truman Annex. Many of its older houses have wood frames, metal roofs, covered porches and shutters, with floors raised above the ground. Those details are worth noticing as you walk; they show how the historic district differs from New Town, the expanded eastern side of the island.
Useful to know
- Do not plan a fixed buoy stop; check current visitor information if seeing a marker is important to you, then give Old Town's streets more of your time.
- Use public shoreline viewpoints; nearby Navy and private land is not part of the buoy visit.