America's real southernmost point
(or is it....)
The ongoing debate about America’s southernmost point’s location remains to be what you want it to be. The word “contiguous” is the heart of the debate, which by definition means “To share a border by touching” and some claim bridges do not count.
The famous buACoy in Key West takes first place at the polls, but there’s other factors to be considered, and even the US Government doesn’t have a straight answer.
Of the 1,700+ “Keys,” roughly 800 are named. 43 are large enough and connected by the Overseas Highway for residents and visitors, and all of it is Monroe County. Key Largo is the largest island and Dry Tortugas is the furthest west.
The road connecting the Florida Keys has multiple names depending which area is being referred to. “US-1” begins in Maine and ends in Key West. The “Overseas Highway,” once a 100-mile long train track connecting the Florida Keys, is now the road that connects Key Largo to Key West. From the Georgia border south to Key West is now branded as the “Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway,” but it’s all the same road.
The Florida Keys are considered to be a “place” as opposed to over 1,700 different places, which would make the southernmost land in the contiguous U.S. an island, or in this case, a “Key.” That Key is Ballast Key, a small, inaccessible island a few miles southwest of Key West. The overall geographical southernmost U.S. point is Ka Lae in Hawaii.
Google says, “Ballast Key is a small private island located about 10 miles west of Key West, making it a short boat or helicopter ride away, and it's famous as the southernmost point of land in the contiguous U.S..”
Ballast Key’s name originates from the 19th century, when ships would dump ballast stones nearby before docking at the energetic and lively port of Key West. It’s a 26-acre island a few miles west of Key West, and since the Keys are considered to all be one place, it arguably holds the distinction of being the southernmost point of land in the contiguous United States.
In the mid-20th century, the island became the private retreat of developer and philanthropist David W. Wolkowsky. Often called the "Father of Modern Key West," Wolkowsky purchased the island in the 1970s, establishing a secluded sanctuary and hosting notable figures.
Along with the Hemingway House, churches, Garrison Bight Marina, and several other Key West locations, Ballast Key appears in the 1989 James Bond movie "License to Kill."
In the film, Ballast Key, with its remote and exotic setting, serves as the luxurious residence and headquarters of the villain Franz Sanchez, a powerful drug lord. The natural beauty and seclusion contribute to the tropical, high-stakes atmosphere typical of a James Bond film.
Following Wolkowsky's death in 2018, the island was donated to The Nature Conservancy. Ownership was subsequently transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2020.
This made it the last privately owned property to be integrated into the Key West National Wildlife Refuge, ensuring its pristine beaches and diverse coastal ecosystems are permanently protected.
I had the opportunity to get up close to Ballast Key while fishing for Bonefish with Capt. Mike Bartlett a couple years ago. The wind was around 2-3 knots the week prior, which is unusual in Key West, so the seas were calm and the waters were crystal clear. It sure did seem that we were north as opposed to west of Key West.
The famous “Buoy” in Key West is thought to be the most southern point of the US. Others say it’s Ballast Key since it’s American land and all of the 1700+ Keys are considered to be a reference to one place.
If bridges were removed from the debate, the most southern point of the U.S. mainland is Cape Sable in the Everglades, but the famous tourist marker, the Southernmost Point Buoy in Key West is known to be the southernmost place if determined by car accessibility.
Many believe the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson are further south, but this is because it seems like the Keys run north and south. When you are physically in the Keys, this is a geographical illusion, as the islands run more east to west. Based on Lat & Long lines, Fort Jefferson is about 5 miles north of Key West.
A few years ago the famous buoy in Key West was set on fire by vandals. Between salt air, a seawall that needed repairs, crashing waves, fire damage, and father time, it needed to be repainted anyway, so local volunteers decided to give it a great restoration job. In 2025 a temporary similar but smaller buoy was put at the end of Duval Street in “Duval Pocket Park” for photographs, about a block from the original site.
The original Key West Southernmost Point Buoy has been restored and is scheduled to be photo-ready in late 2026, after the city completes seawall and road reconstruction to the area.
Installed in 1983 by artist Danny Acosta and Henry Del Valle, the buoy's claim isn't entirely accurate to some. The true southernmost point of land on the island of Key West is on the adjacent, restricted Naval Air Station (NAS) property, roughly 400 feet further south. This land is visible from where the famous buoy sits. Look for the radar dome that looks like a giant golf ball.
Some claim Cape Sable in the Everglades is America’s southernmost point. If you’re a tourist, the buoy is the furthest south worthy of a photo, unless you’re in the Navy. And Ballast Key is your photo opportunity if you have a boat, although the island has “No Trespassing” signage.
There’s another famous buoy marking an American land destination which has no bridges and it’s not on an island, so there’s no people on Facebook arguing its validity. The “Northernmost Buoy” is in NW Minnesota, and though it’s in a nice town, people would rather take a “selfie” at the buoy in Key West with its often 2-3 hour wait time, whether it’s the southernmost point or not.
The most accurate definition of America’s “contiguous” southernmost point would likely be Cape Sable since land connected solely by a public bridge is not considered contiguous by definition. But if it were, the amount of tourists lining up for a photo may be slightly less than those on a trip to Key West.
Perhaps the buoy in Key West should be designated as, “The southernmost point you can drive to.” Either way, as of now, America’s “Southernmost Point” is where you want it to be.
___________________
Jim Griffiths
Nautical Mile Magazine
