The demand for the circular hollow section (CHS) has been increasing due to its structural advantage in long-span structures and high-rise buildings. There are not enough researches on the CHS structure, though. The behavior of the gusset plate CHS joint, to predict the ultimate strength, is not easy to predict because the load deflection curve does not show consistency. Therefore, in this study, experiments and finite element analysis (FEA) were carried out to determine the ultimate strength according to the proposed ultimate deformation limit. Finally, a reasonable ultimate strength formula was proposed through comparisons with other design guides.