Key West in January

How January 2027 scores in Key West

• Overall score

  8/10 8/10 Excellent

  The main score for Key West in January 2027, from 1 to 10, where 10 is best for the visitor. Weather counts for 40%, crowds 25%, daylight 10% and uniqueness 25%. Air quality is shown on its own. How we score

  Overall 8/10: 0.4×9 + 0.25×4 + 0.1×5 + 0.25×10 = 7.60 → 8.

• Weather

  9/10 9/10 Ideal

  Weather 9/10: the average high is 75.8 °F with 46.5 mm of rain (1991–2020 normals, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)). That high is inside the 70–86 °F comfort band, so only rain lowers the score.

  How this was scored

  • NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), KEY WEST INTL AP, FL US (USW00012836), 1991–2020 normals (www.ncei.noaa.gov, checked 2026-10-17)
  • The data file read (www.ncei.noaa.gov, checked 2026-10-17)

  high 75.8 °F: no deduction; rain 46.482 mm: −0.93; 10 − 0.93 = 9.07 → 9

• Crowds

  4/10 4/10 Moderate

  Crowds 4/10, Moderate: in January, passengers arriving at the airport ran at 1.175 times their year's monthly average (median of 2023–2025), compared with the rest of Key West's year. Based on passengers arriving at Key West International (BTS T-100 Domestic and International Segment, all carriers), US Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). Airport passenger counts include residents and connecting passengers. Cruise passengers aren't in any airport series, so visitors who arrive by cruise ship aren't counted.

  How this was scored

  • passengers arriving at Key West International (BTS T-100 Domestic and International Segment, all carriers), US Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) (www.transtats.bts.gov, checked 2026-10-18)
  • The data read (www.transtats.bts.gov, checked 2026-10-18)
  • The data read (www.transtats.bts.gov, checked 2026-10-18)

  2023: 1.099; 2024: 1.175; 2025: 1.175; median 1.175; 10 − 9 × (1.175 − 0.60) / 0.80 = 3.53 → 4

• Daylight

  5/10 5/10 Average

  Daylight 5/10: in January 2027 the sun is up for 10 h 49 min a day on average, from sunrise to sunset at 24.56° N, 81.75° W (NOAA solar equations).

  How this was scored

  • Destination point 24.56° N, 81.75° W, the weather station's published coordinates (www.ncei.noaa.gov, checked 2026-10-17)
  • Sunrise and sunset by the NOAA Solar Calculator equations, checked against NOAA's own Solar Calculator code (the US Naval Observatory's service didn't answer us) (gml.noaa.gov, checked 2026-10-17)

  mean of 31 days from sunrise to sunset: 10 h 49 min (10.81 h); 1 + 1.5 × (10.81 − 8) = 5.22 → 5

• Uniqueness

  10/10 10/10 Packed calendar

  Uniqueness 10/10: 5 dated events from official calendars fall in January 2027: The Restless Natives: Macon, Georgia's tribute to The Allman Brothers Band (single-day), Pole Vault in Paradise (festival), Run for Paradise (single-day), 2027 Southernmost Youth Regatta (festival) and Mile 0 Fest (signature). 3 more events are listed but not counted: at most 2 of each type count.

  • The Restless Natives: Macon, Georgia's tribute to The Allman Brothers Band · Single-day · Jan 1 · +1
  • Pole Vault in Paradise · Festival · Jan 7–10 · +2
  • Run for Paradise · Single-day · Jan 9 · +1
  • 2027 Southernmost Youth Regatta · Festival · Jan 15–17 · +2
  • Mile 0 Fest · Signature · Jan 26–30 · +3
  • Save Our First Responders 5K Run/Walk · Single-day · Jan 9 · not counted
  • Wienerpalooza/Chihuahua Flash Mob · Single-day · Jan 10 · not counted
  • The Jayhawks · Single-day · Jan 25 · not counted
  How this was scored

  • The Restless Natives: Macon, Georgia's tribute to The Allman Brothers Band (single-day), 2027-01-01, Key West Theater, 512 Eaton St, Key West, FL (visitfloridakeys.com, checked 2026-10-17)
  • Pole Vault in Paradise (festival), 2027-01-07 to 2027-01-10, Higgs Beach, Key West, FL (www.cityofkeywest-fl.gov, checked 2026-10-17)
  • Run for Paradise (single-day), 2027-01-09, Higgs Beach, Key West, FL (www.cityofkeywest-fl.gov, checked 2026-10-17)
  • 2027 Southernmost Youth Regatta (festival), 2027-01-15 to 2027-01-17, Truman Waterfront Park, End of Southard Street, Key West, FL (www.cityofkeywest-fl.gov, checked 2026-10-17)
  • Mile 0 Fest (signature), 2027-01-26 to 2027-01-30, Truman Waterfront Park, Southard St, Key West, FL (visitfloridakeys.com, checked 2026-10-17)
  • Florida Keys & Key West events (official tourism board calendar) (visitfloridakeys.com, checked 2026-10-17)
  • City of Key West (city or municipal government calendar) (www.cityofkeywest-fl.gov, checked 2026-10-17)
  • Grand Slam tennis (WTA Tour 2027) (major-sports competition calendar) (wtafiles.wtatennis.com, checked 2026-10-17)
  • Formula 1 World Championship (2026 and 2027 seasons) (major-sports competition calendar) (www.formula1.com, checked 2026-10-17)
  • FIFA World Cup and continental championships (Women's World Cup 2027, AFC Asian Cup 2027, Concacaf W Championship 2026) (major-sports competition calendar) (digitalhub.fifa.com, checked 2026-10-17)
  • Super Bowl (2026-2027 National Football League Important Dates) (major-sports competition calendar) (www.nfl.com, checked 2026-10-17)
  • NFL regular-season international games (2026 slate) (major-sports competition calendar) (media.nfl.com, checked 2026-10-17)
  • UEFA club competition finals 2026/27 (Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, Women's Champions League) (major-sports competition calendar) (www.uefa.com, checked 2026-10-17)
  • Olympic and Paralympic Games (LA28 Games dates; Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games) (major-sports competition calendar) (la28.org, checked 2026-10-17)
  • Abbott World Marathon Majors and World Athletics Platinum Label road races (major-sports competition calendar, not yet published for this month) (worldathletics.org, checked 2026-10-17)

  1 + 1 (The Restless Natives: Macon, Georgia's tribute to The Allman Brothers Band, single-day) + 2 (Pole Vault in Paradise, festival) + 1 (Run for Paradise, single-day) + 2 (2027 Southernmost Youth Regatta, festival) + 3 (Mile 0 Fest, signature) = 10. Not counted: Save Our First Responders 5K Run/Walk (2 single-day events already count); Wienerpalooza/Chihuahua Flash Mob (2 single-day events already count); The Jayhawks (2 single-day events already count). Still to publish this month: Abbott World Marathon Majors and World Athletics Platinum Label road races. The score is already at the cap of 10, so that calendar can't change it

• Air quality

  Not measured

  Air quality: not measured. No official fine-particle (PM2.5) monitor has reported within 25 miles of Key West. The nearest, Everglades National Park, is 88 miles away. See How we score.

  • Source: US EPA AirData monitor list: the nearest fine-particle monitor, Everglades National Park (12-086-0030), 88.2 miles from the destination point (aqs.epa.gov, checked 2026-10-18)

Key West through the year: scores out of 10, where 10 is best for the visitor; * marks a provisional score, explained on that month's page

Scores summarize official data with the method on How we score. They aren't a recommendation, and any given year can differ.

When to go

January is outside the official Atlantic hurricane season, and the Florida Keys tourism site's FAQ says winter and spring are the most popular times to visit. The calendar builds late in the month with the Home Tours and a multi-day music festival at Truman Waterfront Park, so check those dates against your trip. Winter can bring the occasional cold front, so a sweater or light jacket is worth packing.

Trip facts

• NOAA NCEI's monthly normals (1991-2020) list an average daily high of 75.8 and an average daily low of 65.5 degrees Fahrenheit for Key West International Airport in January. (www.ncei.noaa.gov, checked 2026-10-17)
• NOAA NCEI's monthly normals (1991-2020) list average monthly precipitation of 1.83 inches for Key West International Airport in January. (www.ncei.noaa.gov, checked 2026-10-17)
• The Monroe County Tourist Development Council's site lists Key West's average water temperature for January as 69 degrees Fahrenheit. (visitfloridakeys.com, checked 2026-10-15)
• The National Hurricane Center says the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. (www.nhc.noaa.gov, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Monroe County Tourist Development Council's site lists the 67th Annual Key West Home Tours for January 22–23, 2027, from 1–4 p.m. (visitfloridakeys.com, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Monroe County Tourist Development Council's site lists Mile 0 Fest at Truman Waterfront Park, Southard St, Key West, for Jan 26 - 30, 2027. (visitfloridakeys.com, checked 2026-10-15)
• Answering 'What's the best time to visit The Florida Keys?', the Monroe County Tourist Development Council's FAQ says winter and spring are the most popular, with warm weather and low humidity. (visitfloridakeys.com, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Monroe County Tourist Development Council's FAQ says that in the winter the Keys usually stay warm and tropical, but cold fronts can move through occasionally, so bring a sweater, light jacket, or warm layers just in case. (visitfloridakeys.com, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Monroe County Tourist Development Council's site says visitors can fly to Key West International Airport via connections or direct flights from a host of cities. (visitfloridakeys.com, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Monroe County Tourist Development Council's site says to reach the Keys from Miami International Airport, take the Florida Turnpike south to U.S. 1 in Florida City, then continue about 22 miles to Key Largo. (visitfloridakeys.com, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Monroe County Tourist Development Council's site says Key West is one of the easiest places in the Keys to explore without a car, especially in Old Town, and that walking, biking, pedi-cabs, taxis and rideshare services are all popular options. (visitfloridakeys.com, checked 2026-10-15)
• The City of Key West says Key West Rides On-Demand currently has only one zone in Key West, including Stock Island. (www.cityofkeywest-fl.gov, checked 2026-10-15)
• The City of Key West lists Key West Rides On-Demand hours as Monday – Sunday 6 AM – 8 PM, with no service on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. (www.cityofkeywest-fl.gov, checked 2026-10-15)
• The National Park Service says Dry Tortugas National Park is located approximately 70 miles west of Key West, Florida. (www.nps.gov, checked 2026-10-15)
• The National Park Service says cars cannot access Dry Tortugas National Park, and visitors must travel by ferry, seaplane, private boat, or permitted charter. (www.nps.gov, checked 2026-10-15)