page_title: Southernmost point buoy
section_title: Accuracy
hierarchical_section_title: Southernmost point buoy / Accuracy
context_page_description: The Southernmost Point Buoy is an anchored concrete buoy in Key West, Florida, marking the southernmost point in the continental United States, the lowest latitude land of contiguous North American states. It is 18 feet above sea level. The large painted buoy was established as a tourist attraction in 1983 by the city at the corner of South Street and Whitehead Street. It is one of the most visited and photographed attractions in the United States.
  The southernmost point was originally marked with a small sign, before the City of Key West erected the now famous concrete buoy in 1983. The concrete buoy has overall withstood several hurricanes and is a gathering place for photographs and tourists. The paint job was damaged by Hurricane Irma in September 2017, but it was refurbished later that year by the original artist supported by the City of Key West which values the landmark as a tourist attraction. Cuba is roughly 90 miles south of this point in Key West, although this was not originally on the marker, but rather on a smaller sign next to marker.
context_section_description: A more southern part of Key West Island exists and is publicly accessible: the beach area of Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park at approximately 24°32'42.2"N 81°48'34.5"W, and approximately 500 feet (150 m) farther south than the marker. Also, the Big Island of Hawaii is farther south than Key West (see Ka Lae).
  Further south, 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 near 24°32'39.2"N 81°48'17.8"W), but it has no marker since it is U.S. Navy property and cannot be entered by civilian tourists.
  Finally, the true southernmost point in Florida (as well as in the continental United States) is actually 10 miles away at Ballast Key (24°31'15.9"N 81°57'49.5"W), an island south and west of Key West. 
  The claim on the buoy stating "90 miles to Cuba" may be a rounded number, since Cuba, at its closest point is 94 statute (81 nautical) miles due south. One book author suggests they meant 90 nautical miles, from a distance of 103 statute ('regular') miles measuring from Key West to Havana, Cuba. West of Key West there are a number of islands that are farther south including Man, Woman, and Ballast Key, and even on Key West the island's land extends farther south heading west such as at Fort Zachary Taylor Park.
  The 1970 sign at this site said that it was the Southernmost Point of Southernmost City of Key West. Over time as the signs were replaced, the amount of short messages increased and slowly morphed into the longer string of text today.
caption: Key West in red on map is part of the Keys, with Monroe County in dark green on an inset map of the State of Florida
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