The Southernmost Point Buoy in Key West is an anchored concrete buoy marking the southernmost point in the continental United States, the lowest latitude land of contiguous North American states.

Florida Keys, island chain, Monroe and Miami-Dade counties, southern Florida, U.S. Composed of coral and limestone, the islands curve southwestward for about 220 miles (355 km) from Virginia Key in the Atlantic Ocean (just south of Miami Beach) to Loggerhead Key of the Dry Tortugas in the Gulf of Mexico.

When explorer Juan Ponce de Leon charted the islands of the Keys in 1513, he called them Los Martires (meaning “the martyrs”) because he thought they resembled men in distress. The more popular name, simply the Keys, is derived from the Spanish word Cayo (“small island”).

Key West, the southernmost point in the United States, is famous for watersports, lively nightlife, beaches, historic sites and its pastel, conch-style architechture.

Key West is the Southernmost City of the contiguous United States, is a four by two mile island, 159 miles southwest of Miami, 90 miles north of Cuba and 755 miles further south than Los Angles. Bordered by both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, Key West lends to wonderful, soothing tropical breezes.

Key West is Mile 0 and the green mile markers go up from there. The edge of Miami-Dade County is at Mile Marker 113, which marks the end of the Keys and your return to the Florida mainland.

Water surrounds you in what seems like a million shades of blue in the Florida Keys. Nearly every wrong turn leads you to a shady swimming hole with views for miles, and if you venture out into the wild blue yonder, the underwater coral kingdoms are teeming with color and sea life.

Key LargoBahia Honda KeyKey WestMiddle KeysLittle Torch KeySugarloaf Key Florida Keys/Islands

As a capital for sportfishing, boating, scuba diving, and seafood, the Florida Keys is the perfect place to get a taste of tropical Florida. Islamorada is known as the sportsfishing capital of the world, hosting the largest fishing fleet per square mile in the world.

Fun Facts About The Florida Keys That You Might Not Know

• There are a whopping 800 keys. A “key” is a small low-elevation island above a coral reef.
• The longest key is Key Largo.
• Islamorada is a Spanish name.
• Robbie's Marina has the largest tarpon.

Why is Key West famous? Thanks to its buccaneering history, Caribbean connections, picturesque pastel-hued houses, Ernest Hemmingway, iconic Key Lime Pie and legendary sunsets, Key West sure isn't short of famous draws.

Perhaps one of the most popular destinations on the island of Key West, Duval Street is the main drag of downtown, running north and south from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean.