Key West

Best months by our weather score: March, April, May. Daytime highs, rain and sunshine are 2016–2025 averages at Key West International Airport (Open-Meteo historical weather archive); sea temperatures are 2022–2025 averages for the nearest sea area (Open-Meteo marine archive). Months marked in the storm row fall in the Atlantic hurricane season (June 1 to November 30); the score takes that risk into account.

Gateway airport

Key West International Airport (EYW)

US nonstops

ATL, AVL, BOS, CLT, CVG, DCA, DFW, EWR and 16 more

Distance

2,289 mi from Los Angeles, 1,203 mi from New York

Passport

Not needed for US citizens

Hotel, one night

$314 on Jan 13, 2027 · $197 on Jul 14, 2027 (Key West (Old Town and New Town))

Visitors a year

4,700,000 overnight visitors (2025), plus 639,412 cruise passengers

Bringing a dog

Easy: No quarantine. Florida wants a current rabies vaccination for dogs 3 months and older; a health certificate is not required for a privately owned pet traveling with its owner.

Hotel prices: Cheapest 3-star-or-better double, 1 night, 2 adults, Kayak 'stay total' including taxes and fees, member-only and private deals excluded, checked 2026-10-20. January: Fitch Lodge - Key West Historic Inns, Old Town. July: The Casablanca Hotel, Downtown.. Visitor figures: Monroe County Tourist Development Council, FY2025 Annual Report; cruise: City of Key West Port Operations Office via Greater Key West Chamber of Commerce.

Key West works best for couples and solo travelers on a three- or four-night trip. Old Town is compact, you do not need a car, and the evening routine of sunset, dinner and a bar crawl is the point. Many inns are adults-only.

It is a weaker choice for families with young children who want a beach day every day, and for anyone on a budget. If those are your priorities, Hilton Head Island has wide lifeguarded beaches at lower prices, and Puerto Rico has better water, more to do and similar flight times from the East Coast. Compare both on our list of the best islands to visit without a passport.

Key West has two hotel zones. Old Town, on the western end, holds the guesthouses, the historic inns and Duval Street. New Town, toward the airport, has the chain hotels on North Roosevelt Boulevard and along Smathers Beach. From New Town you will want a bike, a scooter or a ride into Old Town each evening.

Our Kayak check on October 20, 2026, for one night, two adults, taxes and fees included:

• January 13, 2027: $314 at Fitch Lodge (Key West Historic Inns), Old Town. The Hilton Garden Inn in New Town was $315.
• July 14, 2027: $197 at The Casablanca Hotel, Downtown. The Garden House in Old Town was $199.

Those were the cheapest of 60 properties rated 3 stars or better. The Chamber's figures show how full the town stays: hotel occupancy averaged 76.9% from January to November 2025, at an average daily rate of $339.65.

The reef offshore breaks the waves, so the water at Key West's beaches is usually calm and shallow. That is good for small children and bad for anyone who wants depth, surf or clear water. Seaweed washes in often.

• Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park: the best swimming and snorkeling on the island, at the southwest tip. The sand is coarse and rocky, so bring water shoes.
• Smathers Beach: the longest strip, on the south shore in New Town. Shallow, calm and lined with water-sports rentals.
• Higgs Beach: a small beach with a pier near the Casa Marina area.

For a real beach day, drive up the Overseas Highway to Bahia Honda State Park in the Lower Keys. That is why we score Key West's beaches 4 out of 10.

• Dry Tortugas National Park. Fort Jefferson and clear snorkeling water on Garden Key, reachable only by boat or seaplane. The Yankee Freedom ferry lists day trips from $260, which includes the $15 park entrance fee. It sells out weeks ahead. The National Park Service counted 89,355 recreation visits in 2025.
• Mallory Square at sunset. Street performers and a crowd every evening on the Old Town waterfront.
• The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, the writer's house on Whitehead Street.
• Reef snorkeling and dive trips to the coral reef south of the island, inside the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
• Fishing charters, from flats fishing in the backcountry to offshore boats.
• Biking Old Town: the Southernmost Point buoy, the Key West Cemetery and the side streets off Duval.

That is several good days, which is why things to do scores 7.5. After four nights, most visitors have done it.

The driest, most comfortable months are December to April, and that is when rooms cost the most. Summer is hot, humid and cheaper, with afternoon thunderstorms. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, according to the NOAA National Hurricane Center, with the peak around September 10 and most activity from mid-August to mid-October. The Keys have one road in and out, so take storm watches seriously. See our hurricane season guide for insurance and timing.

Our 12-month weather table below shows the sea and air temperatures and rainfall by month.

Key West International Airport (EYW) has nonstop flights from 24 US airports on its current schedule, including Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, Newark, Philadelphia and Washington-National year-round, plus seasonal service from Boston, Chicago-O'Hare, Houston and New York-LaGuardia, and Allegiant and Breeze flights from smaller cities. Many visitors fly into Miami or Fort Lauderdale and drive the Overseas Highway instead.

You need no passport. To fly, TSA requires a REAL ID-compliant license or a passport, enforced since May 7, 2025. Travelers without acceptable ID now pay a $45 ConfirmID fee. Our passport rules guide covers the details.

Bringing a dog is easy. Florida requires a current rabies vaccination for dogs 3 months and older, and does not require a health certificate for a privately owned pet traveling with its owner.

Key West shares the Florida Keys' visitor count. The Monroe County Tourist Development Council reported a record 4.7 million domestic visitors to the Keys in the fiscal year to September 2025. Key West's airport recorded 734,150 passenger arrivals in 2025.

Cruise ships add day crowds to Old Town. The City of Key West counted 639,412 cruise passengers in 2025, well below the 964,795 of 2019. The Keys Citizen reported 2026 arrivals through May running 9.8% below 2025. On ship days, Duval Street and Mallory Square fill by late morning, so do Old Town sightseeing early or after the ships leave. Key West ranks among our best islands in the US for the town, not for its beaches.

Shark and Wildlife Viewing Adventure in Key West

Soft drinks and gratuities are included and no alcohol is allowed, which makes it good with kids. You view from the boat; there is no snorkeling.

2 hours

5.0★★★★★★★★★★(3,401 reviews)

Reserve

Rating as shown on Viator

Key West: Reef Snorkeling with Drinks and Sunset Option

Gear and drinks are included; tips, towels and seasonal wetsuit rental are not, and groups of 8 or more pay an automatic 10% service fee. It is a big-boat, high-volume operation.

3 hours

4.5★★★★★★★★★★(610 reviews)

Reserve

Rating as shown on GetYourGuide

Dry Tortugas National Park Day Trip by Catamaran from Key West

The $15 park entrance fee is included and the price matches the operator's own site (from $260 on drytortugas.com on October 20, 2026), so there is no markup. It sells out weeks ahead; bring a photo ID.

10 hours

4.6★★★★★★★★★★(529 reviews)

Reserve

Rating as shown on Viator

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