Best time to visit Key West
The best time to visit Key West is November–April, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Key West, Florida, United States
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22.8 °C / 73 °F | 20.7 °C / 69 °F | 31 mm / 1.2 in | best month |
| February | 23.2 °C / 74 °F | 21.4 °C / 71 °F | 32 mm / 1.3 in | best month |
| March | 23.8 °C / 75 °F | 22.2 °C / 72 °F | 22 mm / 0.9 in | best month |
| April | 25.3 °C / 78 °F | 24 °C / 75 °F | 31 mm / 1.2 in | best month |
| May | 26.8 °C / 80 °F | 25.5 °C / 78 °F | 70 mm / 2.7 in | good month |
| June | 28.3 °C / 83 °F | 26.8 °C / 80 °F | 111 mm / 4.4 in | neither best nor good |
| July | 29.1 °C / 84 °F | 27.5 °C / 82 °F | 68 mm / 2.7 in | neither best nor good |
| August | 29.4 °C / 85 °F | 27.7 °C / 82 °F | 106 mm / 4.2 in | neither best nor good |
| September | 28.8 °C / 84 °F | 27.1 °C / 81 °F | 125 mm / 4.9 in | neither best nor good |
| October | 27.5 °C / 82 °F | 26 °C / 79 °F | 116 mm / 4.5 in | good month, for Fantasy Fest. The weather alone makes it neither best nor good. |
| November | 25.3 °C / 78 °F | 23.8 °C / 75 °F | 45 mm / 1.8 in | best month |
| December | 24 °C / 75 °F | 22.4 °C / 72 °F | 38 mm / 1.5 in | best month |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: best
- FFebruary: best
- MMarch: best
- AApril: best
- MMay: good
- JJune: neither
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: neither
- OOctober: good
- NNovember: best
- DDecember: best
- Best
- November–April
- Good
- May, October
Key West is mild, dry and sunny from November through April, ideal for exploring on foot; the humid, stormy season from June to September turns hot, wet and heavy-rained enough to be poor, and October stays just as hot and rainy but Fantasy Fest lifts it to a good month anyway.
Why these months
January · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 23.1 °C / 74 °F, average daily high 22.8 °C / 73 °F, precipitation 31 mm / 1.2 in, share of daylight that is sunny 90%, wet days 5.9 days, days with heavy rain 0.7 days, average daily low 20.7 °C / 69 °F, relative humidity 76%.
Against: share of rain falling in the daytime 51%.
Also on: Key West Fishing Tournament, Key West Food & Wine Festival, Mile 0 Fest, New Year's Eve fireworks.
Watch out for: US holiday season travel crowds.
February · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 24.3 °C / 76 °F, average daily high 23.2 °C / 74 °F, precipitation 32 mm / 1.3 in, share of daylight that is sunny 91%, wet days 4.2 days, days with heavy rain 0.9 days, average daily low 21.4 °C / 71 °F.
Against: share of rain falling in the daytime 45%, relative humidity 78%.
Also on: Gay Spring Break, Key West Art and Craft Festival, Key West Fishing Tournament, Presidents' Day long weekend, Valentine's Day.
March · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 25.2 °C / 77 °F, average daily high 23.8 °C / 75 °F, precipitation 22 mm / 0.9 in, share of daylight that is sunny 92%, wet days 3.6 days, days with heavy rain 0.4 days, relative humidity 74%.
Against: average daily low 22.2 °C / 72 °F.
Also on: Gay Spring Break, Key West Fishing Tournament, St Patrick's Day.
Watch out for: Spring break crowds.
April · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 27.9 °C / 82 °F, average daily high 25.3 °C / 78 °F, precipitation 31 mm / 1.2 in, share of daylight that is sunny 96%, wet days 4.7 days, days with heavy rain 0.8 days, relative humidity 75%.
Against: average daily low 24 °C / 75 °F.
Also on: Conch Republic Independence Celebration, Gay Spring Break, Key West Fishing Tournament.
May · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 93%, average daily high 26.8 °C / 80 °F, wet days 7.6 days, relative humidity 76%.
Against: feels like (high) 30.6 °C / 87 °F, days with heavy rain 2.2 days, precipitation 70 mm / 2.7 in, average daily low 25.5 °C / 78 °F.
Also on: Key West Fishing Tournament.
October · good
Made good by Fantasy Fest.
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 88%, average daily high 27.5 °C / 82 °F.
Against: feels like (high) 30.3 °C / 87 °F, wet days 13.2 days, precipitation 116 mm / 4.5 in, relative humidity 77%, days with heavy rain 3.1 days, share of rain falling in the daytime 40%, average daily low 26 °C / 79 °F.
Watch out for: Seasonal business closures.
November · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 26.5 °C / 80 °F, average daily high 25.3 °C / 78 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 90%, wet days 5.8 days, days with heavy rain 1.1 days, relative humidity 75%.
Against: precipitation 45 mm / 1.8 in, average daily low 23.8 °C / 75 °F.
Watch out for: Thanksgiving travel crowds, US holiday season travel crowds.
December · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 25 °C / 77 °F, average daily high 24 °C / 75 °F, precipitation 38 mm / 1.5 in, share of daylight that is sunny 90%, wet days 5.2 days, days with heavy rain 1.1 days.
Against: share of rain falling in the daytime 48%, average daily low 22.4 °C / 72 °F, relative humidity 77%.
Also on: BeLighted Bike Ride and Hometown Holiday Parade, New Year's Eve fireworks, World AIDS Day memorial dedication.
Watch out for: Christmas closures, US holiday season travel crowds.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Sugar Mountain Resort, 1286 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 23.1 °C | 24.3 °C | 25.2 °C | 27.9 °C | 30.6 °C | 33.3 °C | 34.5 °C | 34.7 °C | 33.7 °C | 30.3 °C | 26.5 °C | 25 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 0.7 days | 0.9 days | 0.4 days | 0.8 days | 2.2 days | 3 days | 1.1 days | 2.5 days | 3 days | 3.1 days | 1.1 days | 1.1 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 3 pm | 3 pm | 1 am | 1 am | 6 am | 11 am | 8 am | 3 pm | 6 am | 9 am | 2 am | 10 am |
| Sunshine per day | 9.7 h | 10.3 h | 11 h | 12.2 h | 12.3 h | 11.7 h | 12.4 h | 11.9 h | 10.8 h | 10.1 h | 9.9 h | 9.6 h |
| Relative humidity | 76% | 78% | 74% | 75% | 76% | 79% | 78% | 78% | 79% | 77% | 75% | 77% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 9.4 µg/m³ | 9.6 µg/m³ | 10.4 µg/m³ | 9.9 µg/m³ | 8.6 µg/m³ | 10.2 µg/m³ | 13.2 µg/m³ | 9.8 µg/m³ | 6.9 µg/m³ | 7.8 µg/m³ | 8 µg/m³ | 7.7 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 12.1 µg/m³ | 12.3 µg/m³ | 13.6 µg/m³ | 12.5 µg/m³ | 10.9 µg/m³ | 14 µg/m³ | 17.6 µg/m³ | 12.8 µg/m³ | 9 µg/m³ | 10.2 µg/m³ | 10.2 µg/m³ | 10.2 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- Fantasy Fest Major
October
- New Year's Eve fireworks
31 December–1 January
- Key West Food & Wine Festival
24–31 January, dates vary from year to year
- Mile 0 Fest
January
- Key West Fishing Tournament
January, February, March, April, May, June and July
- Valentine's Day
14 February
- Presidents' Day long weekend
February, dates vary from year to year
- Key West Art and Craft Festival
February
- Gay Spring Break
February, March and April
- St Patrick's Day
17 March
- Conch Republic Independence Celebration
April
- Key West Pride Week
June
- Hemingway Days
11–20 July, dates vary from year to year
- Key Lime Festival
July
- Tropical Heat
11–20 August
- Lobsterfest
1–7 August
- Womenfest
1–7 September
- BeLighted Bike Ride and Hometown Holiday Parade
December
- World AIDS Day memorial dedication
December
Worth knowing before you go
- US holiday season travel crowds
January, November and December, dates vary from year to year
- Spring break crowds
March, dates vary from year to year
- Seasonal business closures
September and October
- Thanksgiving travel crowds
November, dates vary from year to year
- Christmas closures
24–25 December