Best Time to Visit Key West

The best time to visit Key West is December to April, our pick, which the National Weather Service in Key West calls the dry season. NOAA normals show highs of 75.8 to 82.6 F and 1.5 to 2.2 inches of rain a month, and the Atlantic hurricane season, 1 June to 30 November, is over. September is the wettest month at 7.24 inches, and 10 September is the hurricane peak.

Weather by month

Note: Temperatures, rain and rain days are NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 monthly normals for station USW00012836, Key West International Airport, pulled from the NCEI data API on 15 Oct 2026. Rain days count days with 0.10 inch or more. Water temperature is the monthly average at NOAA's Key West gauge (station 8724580) in NCEI's Coastal Water Temperature Guide, read 15 Oct 2026; the page does not state the averaging years

By our sums of the monthly values, the year totals about 40.4 inches of rain. We did not pull humidity or heat index figures.

Dry season, wet season

Note: NWS Key West climate page (1991–2020 normals, read 15 Oct 2026): "December through April, referred to as the dry season" receives "just shy of 25 percent of the annual rainfall," usually ahead of cold fronts. "June through October is considered the wet season," with approximately 65 percent of the yearly total in showers and thunderstorms. "May and November are typically seen as transition months between seasons"

Hurricane season

Note: National Hurricane Center climatology page (read 15 Oct 2026): "The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30." "The peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is September 10." Most activity occurs between mid-August and mid-October. Tropical cyclone activity sometimes occurs before and after these dates. The page shows no update date

A hurricane does not hit Key West every year. We did not find an official count of direct hits, so we will not give you odds. We also did not read Monroe County's evacuation rules for visitors. If you book for June to November, read the cancellation terms before you pay, and watch nhc.noaa.gov in the week before you leave.

Events with dates

Note: Fantasy Fest, fantasyfest.com (read 15 Oct 2026): 2026 is "Oct. 16-25." The parade page lists the 2026 Deep Eddy Vodka Fantasy Fest Parade on "SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2026" at 7 p.m. Future dates on the home page: 2027, 10/22 to 10/31. 2028, 10/20 to 10/29. The City of Key West calendar (cityofkeywest-fl.gov, read 15 Oct 2026) lists the royal coronation on 16 October, a Goombay Festival street closure on 16 and 17 October, the Fantasy Fest 5K on 19 October and a parade street closure from 7 to 10 p.m. on 24 October

Fantasy Fest falls in the wet season and hurricane season. It is a 10-day event, so expect busy streets and, in our estimate, higher hotel demand. We did not check hotel rates. The festival site has a code of conduct page. We did not read it.

Dry Tortugas

Hours: The Yankee Freedom ferry (drytortugas.com, read 15 Oct 2026) travels to Fort Jefferson "year round." Day trip: check-in 7:00 a.m., boarding 7:30 a.m., departs Key West 8:00 a.m., arrives at Fort Jefferson about 10:15 a.m., leaves the park at 3:00 p.m. The home page says it is back in Key West at 5:15 p.m. and the FAQ says 5:30 p.m. The ride is about 2 hours 15 minutes each way. "Times may vary depending on weather." Trips are not cancelled for rain, but the captain may cancel if conditions are too rough. The rates page lists day trips from $260 and says they sell out weeks ahead. Days of operation and winter schedules are not on the pages we read

Note: NPS Dry Tortugas FAQ (last updated 26 May 2026, read 15 Oct 2026): transport is by a concessionaire ferry and seaplane based in Key West, or a private boat. The park is about 70 miles west of Key West (NPS directions page, read 15 Oct 2026)

We did not find an official "best month" for the Dry Tortugas. Seas are our concern, not rain. The operator's site says the boat has a motion-control system, but that you should take precautions if you get seasick. Weather cancellations are not confirmed by month.

Snorkeling and water

NOAA's Key West gauge averages 72.5 F in January and 88.7 F in August. Water visibility is not on any page we read, so we do not say which month is clearest. If snorkeling is your main goal, check the operator's report for the day. For a swim in town, Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park is open 8:00 a.m. to sundown, 365 days a year (City of Key West facilities page, read 14 Oct 2026 for our Key West guide, which also has the entry fees).

Cruise ships

Cruise ship days are not confirmed. The City of Key West homepage we read did not link a port or cruise schedule, and we did not find an official one. Check with the cruise lines or the port before you plan around a quiet day.

Which month for which plan

• Dry weather and a beach day: February to April. Highs 77.4 to 82.6 F, 1.5 to 2.1 inches of rain.

• Warm water for swimming: June to October. Gauge water is 86.3 to 88.7 F in June to September. Expect wet season rain.

• Fantasy Fest: 16 to 25 October 2026, or 22 to 31 October 2027.

• A cheaper trip: not confirmed. Check rates for your dates.

The worst time to go

Our pick for the hardest month is September. It has the most rain (7.24 inches over 10.2 days), average highs near 89 F with lows near 79 F, and the NHC hurricane peak on 10 September. If you must go then, book flexible terms. August and October share most of those problems.

What we checked and what can change

• NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals, USW00012836, pulled from the NCEI data API on 15 Oct 2026. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast.

• NCEI Coastal Water Temperature Guide, Key West gauge 8724580, read 15 Oct 2026.

• NWS Key West climate page, read 15 Oct 2026.

• National Hurricane Center climatology page, read 15 Oct 2026.

• fantasyfest.com (home page and parade page) and the cityofkeywest-fl.gov calendar, read 15 Oct 2026.

• drytortugas.com (home page, FAQ and rates page) and NPS Dry Tortugas FAQ, read 15 Oct 2026. The two ferry pages differ by 15 minutes on the return time.

• Not confirmed: cruise ship days, hotel and flight prices, monthly visitor counts, hurricane odds, evacuation rules for visitors, water visibility by month, Dry Tortugas days of operation and adult or child fares.