 Coconut palms inIslamorada, Florida in the Florida Keys | |
 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Florida Straits |
| Coordinates | 24°40′01″N81°32′39″W / 24.66694°N 81.54417°W /24.66694; -81.54417 |
| Area | 356 km2 (137 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
United States | |
| State | Florida |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 82,874 (2020) |
TheFlorida Keys are acoralcayarchipelago off the southern coast ofFlorida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Floridapeninsula, about 15 miles (24 km) south ofMiami and extend in an arc south-southwest and then westward toKey West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabitedDry Tortugas. The islands lie along theFlorida Straits, dividing theAtlantic Ocean to the east from theGulf of Mexico to the northwest, and defining one edge ofFlorida Bay. The southern part of Key West is 93 miles (150 km) fromCuba. The Keys are located between about 24.3 and 25.5 degrees north latitude.
More than 95% of the land area lies inMonroe County, but a small portion extends northeast intoMiami-Dade County, such asTotten Key. The total land area is 137.3 square miles (356 km2). At the2010 census the population was 73,090, with an average density of 532.34 per square mile (205.54/km2),[1] although much of the population is concentrated in a few areas of much higher density, such as the city of Key West, which has 32% of the Keys' total population. The 2014 Census population estimate was 77,136. The 2020 Census population estimate was 82,874.[2]
The city of Key West is thecounty seat of Monroe County. The county consists of a section on themainland which is almost entirely inEverglades National Park, and the Keys islands fromKey Largo toDry Tortugas National Park.
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The Keys were originally inhabited by theCalusa andTequesta people and were later charted byJuan Ponce de León in 1513. De León named the islandsLos Martires ("The Martyrs"), as they looked like suffering men from a distance.[3] "Key" is derived from the Spanish wordcayo, meaning small island. For many years, Key West was the largest town in Florida, and it grew prosperous onwrecking revenues. The isolated outpost was well located for trade with Cuba and the Bahamas and was on the main trade route fromNew Orleans. Improved navigation led to fewer shipwrecks, and Key West went into a decline in the late nineteenth century.
The Keys were long accessible only by water. This changed with the completion ofHenry Flagler'sOverseas Railway in the early 1910s. Flagler, a major developer of Florida's Atlantic coast, extended hisFlorida East Coast Railway down to Key West with an ambitious series of oversea railroad trestles. Three hurricanes disrupted the project in1906,1909, and1910.
The strongest hurricane to strike the U.S. made landfall near Islamorada in the Upper Keys on Labor Day, Monday, September 2, 1935. Winds were estimated to have gusted to 200 mph (320 km/h), raising a storm surge more than 17.5 feet (5.3 m) above sea level that washed over the islands. More than 400 people were killed, though some estimates place the number of deaths at more than 600.
The Labor Day hurricane was one of only four hurricanes to make landfall atCategory 5 strength on the U.S. coast since reliable weather records began (about 1850). The other storms wereHurricane Camille (1969),Hurricane Andrew (1992), andHurricane Michael (2018).
In 1935, new bridges were under construction to connect a highway through the entire Keys. Hundreds of World War I veterans working on the roadway as part of a government relief program were housed in non-reinforced buildings in three construction camps in the Upper Keys. When the evacuation train failed to reach the camps before the storm, more than 200 veterans perished. Their deaths caused anger and charges of mismanagement that led to a Congressional investigation.
The storm also ended the 23-year run of the Overseas Railway; the damaged tracks were never rebuilt, and theOverseas Highway (U.S. Highway 1) replaced the railroad as the main transportation route from Miami to Key West.[4]
One of thelongest bridges when it was built, theSeven Mile Bridge connectsKnight's Key (part of the city ofMarathon in the Middle Keys) toLittle Duck Key in the Lower Keys. The piling-supported concrete bridge is 35,862 ft (10,931 m) or 6.79 miles (10.93 km) long. The current bridge bypassesPigeon Key, a small island that housed workers buildingHenry Flagler'sFlorida East Coast Railway in the 1900s, that the original Seven Mile Bridge crossed. A 2.2-mile (3.5 km) section of the old bridge remains for access to the island, although it was closed to vehicular traffic on March 4, 2008. The aging structure has been deemed unsafe by theFlorida Department of Transportation. Costly repairs, estimated to be as much as $34 million, were expected to begin in July 2008. Monroe County was unable to secure a $17 million loan through the state infrastructure bank, delaying work for at least a year. On June 14, 2008, the old bridge section leading to Pigeon Key was closed to fishing as well. While still open to pedestrians—walking, biking and jogging—if the bridge were closed altogether, only a ferry subsidized by FDOT and managed by the county would transport visitors to the island.
After the destruction of the Keys railway by theLabor Day Hurricane of 1935, the railroad bridges, including the Seven Mile Bridge, were converted to automobile roadways. This roadway, U.S. Highway 1, became theOverseas Highway that runs from Key Largo south to Key West. Today this highway allows travel through the tropical islands of the Florida Keys and the viewing of exotic plants and animals found nowhere else on the US mainland and the largestcoral reef chain in the United States.
Following theCuban Revolution, many Cubans emigrated to South Florida. Key West traditionally had strong links with its neighbor ninety miles south by water, and large numbers of Cubans settled there. The Keys still attract Cubans leaving their home country, and stories of "rafters" coming ashore are not uncommon.[5][6][7]
In 1982, theUnited States Border Patrol established a roadblock and inspection points onUS Highway 1, stopping all northbound traffic returning to the mainland atFlorida City, to search vehicles for illegal drugs and undocumented immigrants. The Key West City Council repeatedly complained about the roadblocks, which were a major inconvenience for travellers, and hurt the Keys' important tourism industry.
After various unsuccessful complaints and attempts to get a legal injunction against the blockade failed in federal court inMiami, on April 23, 1982, Key West mayorDennis Wardlow and the city council declared the independence of the city ofKey West, calling it the "Conch Republic", and declared war on the United States by striking an officer of the Key West Naval Air Station (NAS) on the head with a loaf of stale Cuban bread. After one minute of secession, he (as "Prime Minister") surrendered to the officer and requested US$1,000,000,000 in "foreign aid".[8]
The stunt succeeded in generating great publicity for the Keys' plight, and the inspection station roadblock was removed. The idea of the Conch Republic has provided a new source of revenue for the Keys by way of tourist keepsake sales, and the Conch Republic has participated in later protests.
The northern and central sections of the Florida Keys are the exposed portions of an ancientcoral reef, theKey Largo Limestone. The northernmost island arising from the ancient reef formation isElliott Key, inBiscayne National Park. North of Elliott Key are several small transitional keys, composed of sand built up around small areas of exposed ancient reef. Further north,Key Biscayne and places north arebarrier islands, built up of sand.[9] The islands in the southwestern part of the chain, fromBig Pine Key to theMarquesas Keys, are exposed areas ofMiami Limestone.[10]
The Florida Keys have taken their present form as the result of the drastic changes in sea level associated with recentglaciations orice ages. Beginning some 130,000 years ago theSangamonian Stage raised sea levels about 25 feet (7.6 m) above the current level. All of southern Florida was covered by a shallow sea. Several parallel lines of reef formed along the edge of the submergedFlorida Platform, stretching south and then west from the present Miami area to what is now the Dry Tortugas. This reef formed the Key Largo Limestone that is exposed on the surface fromSoldier Key (midway between Key Biscayne and Elliott Key) to the southeast portion ofBig Pine Key and the Newfound Harbor Keys. The types ofcoral that formed Key Largo Limestone can be identified on the exposed surface of these keys. Minor fluctuations in sea level exposed parts of the reef, subjecting it to erosion. Acidic water, which can result from decaying vegetation, dissolves limestone. Some of the dissolved limestone redeposited as a densercap rock, which can be seen as outcrops overlying the Key Largo and Miami limestones throughout the Keys. The limestone that eroded from the reef formedoolites in the shallow sea behind the reef, and together with the skeletal remains ofbryozoans, formed the Miami Limestone that is the current surface bedrock of the lower Florida peninsula and the lower keys from Big Pine Key to Key West. To the west of Key West the ancient reef is covered by recentcalcareous sand. While the islands of the upper and middle keys, consisting of Key Largo Limestone, form a long narrow arc, the islands of the lower keys are perpendicular to the line of that arc. This configuration arose from an ancient tidal-bar system, in whichtidal channels cut through a submerged oolitic deposit. The barslithified into Miami Limestone, and with changes in sea level are presently exposed as the islands, while the channels between the bars now separate the islands.[11]
Just offshore of the Florida Keys along the edge of the Florida Straits is theFlorida Reef (also known as the Florida Reef Tract), separated from the keys by theHawk Channel. The Florida Reef extends 170 miles (270 km) fromFowey Rocks just east of Soldier Key to just south of the Marquesas Keys. It is the third-largestbarrier reef system in the world.[12]
The climate and environment of the Florida Keys are closer to that of theCaribbean than the rest of Florida, though unlike the Caribbean's volcanic islands, the Keys were built by plants and animals. The Upper Keys islands are composed of sandy-type accumulations oflimestone grains produced by plants and marine organisms. The Lower Keys are the remnants of large coral reefs, which became fossilized and exposed when the sea level dropped.
The natural habitats of the Keys are upland forests, inland wetlands and shoreline zones. Soil ranges from sand tomarl to rich, decomposedleaf litter. In some places, "caprock" (the eroded surface of coral formations) covers the ground. Rain falling throughleaf debris becomes acidic and dissolves holes in the limestone, where soil accumulates and trees root.
The Florida Keys have distinctive plant and animals species, some found nowhere else in the United States, as the Keys define the northern extent of their ranges. The climate also allows many imported plants to thrive. Some exotic species which arrived as landscape plants now invade and threaten natural areas.
The native flora of the Keys is diverse, including members of both temperate families, such as red maple (Acer rubrum), slash pine (Pinus elliottii var.densa) and oaks (Quercus spp.), growing at the southern end of their ranges, and tropical families, including mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni), gumbo limbo (Bursera simaruba), stoppers (Eugenia spp.), Jamaican dogwood (Piscidia piscipula), and many others, which grow only in tropical climates. Several types of palms are native to the Florida Keys, including the Florida thatch palm (Thrinax radiata), which grows to its greatest size in Florida on the islands of the Keys.
The Keys are also home to unique animal species, including theAmerican crocodile,Key deer (protected by theNational Key Deer Refuge), and theKey Largo woodrat. The Keys are part of the northernmost range of the American crocodile, which is found throughout theNeotropics. The Key Largo Woodrat is found only in the northern part of its namesake island and is a focus of management activities inCrocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge. About 70 miles (110 km) west of Key West isDry Tortugas National Park.
The waters surrounding the Keys are part of a protected area known as theFlorida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
The climate of the Florida Keys istropical savanna (Köppen climate classification: Aw).[14] Other than some areas of coastal Miami (Miami Beach), the Florida Keys are the only areas in the continental United States to never report freezing temperatures since settlement. The record low in Key West is 41 °F (5 °C) (in both 1886 and 1981), and low temperatures below 48 °F (9 °C) are rare. Most of the Florida Keys fall into USDA zone 11a to 11b; Key West is zone 12a.
There are two main "seasons" in the Florida Keys, a hot and wet season from June through October, and a dry season from November through April, that features little rainfall, sunny skies, and warm breezy conditions. The warm and sunny winter climate, with average highs around 75 °F (24 °C) and lows above 60 °F (16 °C), is the main tourist season in the Florida Keys. Key West is the driest city in Florida, and most of the Florida Keys can become quite dry at the height of the dry season. Some of the more exposed vegetation in the keys isscrub, stunted due to the intense sun, quick draining sandy soil, and arid winter climate.
| Climate data forKey West Int'l, Florida (1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1872−present)[b] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 90 (32) | 87 (31) | 89 (32) | 91 (33) | 94 (34) | 96 (36) | 97 (36) | 97 (36) | 95 (35) | 93 (34) | 91 (33) | 88 (31) | 97 (36) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 81.9 (27.7) | 82.5 (28.1) | 84.1 (28.9) | 86.2 (30.1) | 88.8 (31.6) | 91.0 (32.8) | 92.2 (33.4) | 92.3 (33.5) | 91.5 (33.1) | 89.1 (31.7) | 85.4 (29.7) | 82.9 (28.3) | 92.7 (33.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 75.8 (24.3) | 77.4 (25.2) | 79.6 (26.4) | 82.6 (28.1) | 85.9 (29.9) | 88.7 (31.5) | 90.2 (32.3) | 90.6 (32.6) | 89.0 (31.7) | 85.8 (29.9) | 81.0 (27.2) | 77.7 (25.4) | 83.7 (28.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 70.6 (21.4) | 72.3 (22.4) | 74.4 (23.6) | 77.9 (25.5) | 81.1 (27.3) | 84.1 (28.9) | 85.4 (29.7) | 85.5 (29.7) | 84.1 (28.9) | 81.3 (27.4) | 76.6 (24.8) | 73.0 (22.8) | 78.9 (26.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 65.5 (18.6) | 67.1 (19.5) | 69.3 (20.7) | 73.1 (22.8) | 76.4 (24.7) | 79.4 (26.3) | 80.6 (27.0) | 80.5 (26.9) | 79.2 (26.2) | 76.8 (24.9) | 72.2 (22.3) | 68.3 (20.2) | 74.0 (23.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 51.8 (11.0) | 55.0 (12.8) | 58.5 (14.7) | 63.6 (17.6) | 69.5 (20.8) | 73.5 (23.1) | 74.5 (23.6) | 74.1 (23.4) | 74.1 (23.4) | 69.3 (20.7) | 62.4 (16.9) | 56.6 (13.7) | 50.1 (10.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 41 (5) | 44 (7) | 47 (8) | 48 (9) | 63 (17) | 65 (18) | 68 (20) | 68 (20) | 64 (18) | 59 (15) | 49 (9) | 44 (7) | 41 (5) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 1.83 (46) | 1.54 (39) | 1.53 (39) | 2.07 (53) | 3.12 (79) | 4.23 (107) | 3.63 (92) | 5.37 (136) | 7.24 (184) | 5.67 (144) | 2.05 (52) | 2.15 (55) | 40.44 (1,027) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 6.9 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 7.5 | 11.2 | 11.6 | 14.6 | 15.8 | 12.1 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 106.6 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 76.0 | 74.3 | 73.0 | 70.1 | 71.8 | 74.0 | 72.2 | 73.4 | 75.3 | 75.1 | 76.0 | 76.2 | 74.0 |
| Averagedew point °F (°C) | 61.3 (16.3) | 61.2 (16.2) | 63.9 (17.7) | 65.8 (18.8) | 70.0 (21.1) | 73.6 (23.1) | 74.3 (23.5) | 74.7 (23.7) | 74.3 (23.5) | 70.9 (21.6) | 66.7 (19.3) | 63.1 (17.3) | 68.3 (20.2) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 249.6 | 245.4 | 308.8 | 324.6 | 340.3 | 314.0 | 325.2 | 306.6 | 269.6 | 254.7 | 230.9 | 234.5 | 3,404.2 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 75 | 77 | 83 | 85 | 82 | 77 | 78 | 76 | 73 | 71 | 70 | 71 | 77 |
| Source: NOAA (relative humidity, dew point and sun 1961−1990)[15][16][17] | |||||||||||||
The Keys are occasionally threatened bytropical storms andhurricanes, leading to evacuations to the mainland.Hurricane Georges, after destroying much of the housing and infrastructure on many of theCaribbean islands, caused damage and extensive flooding in the Lower Keys in 1998, before makinglandfall inMississippi. In 2005, HurricanesKatrina,Rita andWilma affected the Keys (although none made a direct hit), causing widespread damage and flooding. The most severe hurricane to hit the area was theLabor Day Hurricane of 1935, a Category 5 hurricane.
Tropical cyclones present special dangers and challenges to the entire Keys. Because no area of the islands is more than 20 feet (6.1 m) above sea level (and many are only a few feet elevation), and water surrounds the islands, nearly every neighborhood is subject to flooding as well as hurricane winds. In response, many homes in the Keys are built on concrete stilts with the first floor being not legally habitable and enclosed by breakaway walls that are not strongly attached to the rest of the house. Nonetheless, Monroe County, as reported in the Federal Register, has estimated that there are between 8,000 and 12,000 illegal enclosures inhabited by people.[18]
Because of the threat from storm surge, evacuations are routinely ordered when theNational Weather Service issues a hurricane watch or warning, and are sometimes ordered for a tropical storm warning. Evacuation of the Keys depends on causeways and the two-lane highway to the mainland. Time estimates for evacuating the entire Keys range from 12 to 24 hours. Evacuation estimates are significant in emergency planning, of course, but also because they are a factor in local and state regulations for controlling development. The building permit allocation was increased in 2005 when local governments reduced estimates for evacuation.
On September 10, 2017,Hurricane Irma made landfall in Cudjoe Key. The storm destroyed an estimated 25% of the houses on the Keys and another 65% suffered major damage.[19] Most residents had evacuated before the storm hit the area. On September 12, parts of the Keys were still inaccessible by causeway and some areas were closed to the public.[20] GovernorRick Scott reported devastation; most areas were without power or water.[21] The damage was the worst in the Lower Keys, though less severe in Key West;[22] parts of the Lower Keys may be uninhabitable for months.[23]
U.S. Highway 1, the "Overseas Highway", runs over most of the inhabited islands of the Florida Keys. The islands are listed in order from southwest to north.Mile markers are listed for keys that the Overseas Highway runs across or near:[24]
TheSeven Mile Bridge (MM 40–46¾) separates the Lower Keys from the Middle Keys:
(Knights, Vaca, Boot, Long Point, Crawl, and Grassy Keys, as well as most of Fat Deer Key, are incorporated in the city ofMarathon.[25] The remaining portion of Fat Deer Key and most of Shelter Key are part ofKey Colony Beach.):
TheLong Key Bridge (MM 63¼-65¼) separates the Middle Keys from the Upper Keys:
(Lower Matecumbe through Plantation Keys are incorporated asIslamorada, Village of Islands. The "towns" ofKey Largo,North Key Largo andTavernier, all on the island of Key Largo, are not incorporated.):
All keys north ofBroad Creek are inBiscayne National Park andMiami-Dade County. The following are "true" Florida Keys (exposed ancient coral reefs):
The following are "transitional keys", made of exposed ancient reef surrounded by sand:
Key Biscayne is not one of the Florida Keys, but the southernmost of thebarrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida.
The main chain of Keys islands can be traveled by motor vehicles on theOverseas Highway, a 127-mile (204 km) section ofU.S. 1, which runs from Key West toFort Kent, Maine in its entirety. The highway was built parallel to the original route of theOverseas Railway, which was not rebuilt following theLabor Day hurricane of 1935. Even before the hurricane, road sections and highway bridges allowed automobile traffic to travel from Miami to Lower Matecumbe Key, where a car ferry connected with another roadway section through the Lower Keys. Following the hurricane, some of the original railway bridges were converted to carry the highway roadbeds. These bridges were used until the 1980s, when new highway bridges were built alongside. Many of the original railroad and highway bridges remain today as pedestrian fishing piers.
The Florida Keys has public bus transportation.
Despite this reconstruction, U.S. 1 was not widened on a large scale, and today most of the route consists of just two lanes. Due to their tropical climate,[26] the Florida Keys attract several hundred thousand tourists annually.[27] While some visitors arrive viaKey West International Airport andFlorida Keys Marathon Airport inMarathon, cruise ship or ferry fromMiami,Fort Myers, or Marco Island, Florida, the vast majority of tourists drive down from the mainland on U.S. 1.[28] This influx of traffic, coupled with the two-lane nature of U.S. 1 through most of its length in the Keys, and the fact that no alternative road routes are available mean that Monroe County has the highestper capita rate of fatalautomobile accidents in the state of Florida.[29]
The major industries are fishing and tourism, includingecotourism, with many visitorsscuba diving in the area's protected waters. A ferry takes riders between Key West andFort Myers, as well asMarco Island due north on the mainland, along the western edge of Florida Bay.[30]
Middle and Lower Florida Keys are among a few remaining South Florida dark skies locations accessible by car, thanks to their position along the Atlantic Ocean, and therefore with southern skies unobstructed bylight pollution associated with urban development.
Scout Key is home toWinter Star Party, a prominent annual amateur astronomy event in the United States, and one of the Top 10 star parties in the world according toBBC Sky at Night. It is an international gathering that attracts 500+ people each year who enjoy stargazing, astrophotography and Milky Way photography.[31]
Bahia Honda State Park is a well known dark skies location among locals offering unobstructed views of the southern night sky year-round. It also hosts amateur astronomy gatherings.[32]
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Florida Keys travel guide from WikivoyageMunicipalities and communities ofMonroe County, Florida,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
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