"Myers, or Marco Island, Florida, the vast majority of tourists drive down from the mainland on U.S. 1. 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 highest per capita rate of fatal automobile accidents in the state of Florida. The major industries are fishing and tourism, including ecotourism, with many visitors scuba diving in the area's protected waters. A ferry now takes riders between Key West and Fort Myers, as well as"
"Ballast Key Ballast Key is an island in the Florida Keys in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It is the southernmost point of land in the contiguous United States. It is also the only privately owned land within the boundaries of the Key West National Wildlife Refuge, and is being offered on the real estate market for US $15,800,000. Located in the Outlying Islands of the Florida Keys, it is one of the Mule Keys that are nine miles (15 km) west of Key West. The island's are privately owned by Key West developer David W. Wolkowsky through the David"
"Cape Sable Cape Sable, Florida, is the southernmost point of the United States mainland and mainland Florida. It is located in southwestern Florida, in Monroe County, and is part of the Everglades National Park. The cape is a peninsula issuing from the southeastern part of the Florida mainland, running west and curving around to the north, reaching Ponce de Leon Bay, at the mouth of the Shark River. It forms the southern and western margins of Whitewater Bay. There are three prominent points on the cape, East Cape, which is the actual southernmost point of the Florida and United States"
"Key Biscayne Key Biscayne () is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. It is the southernmost of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida, and lies south of Miami Beach and southeast of Miami. The key is connected to Miami via the Rickenbacker Causeway, originally built in 1947. The northern portion of Key Biscayne is home to Crandon Park, a county park. The middle section of the island consists of the incorporated Village of Key Biscayne. The southern part of the island is now protected as Bill Baggs"
"Elliott Key Elliott Key is the northernmost of the true Florida Keys (those 'keys' which are ancient coral reefs lifted above the present sea level), and the largest key north of Key Largo. It is located entirely within Biscayne National Park, in Miami-Dade County, Florida, east of Homestead, Florida. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Biscayne Bay to the west, Sands Key (across Sands Cut) to the north and Old Rhodes Key (across Caesar Creek) to the south. Adams Key is just west of the southern end of Elliott Key. Elliott Key is about seven miles"
"that live there have known each other for generations. The children who grew up on the island are known as ""Key Rats"". Key Biscayne Key Biscayne () is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. It is the southernmost of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida, and lies south of Miami Beach and southeast of Miami. The key is connected to Miami via the Rickenbacker Causeway, originally built in 1947. The northern portion of Key Biscayne is home to Crandon Park, a county park. The middle section of"
"Seminole War, the Army established Fort Cross on Middle Cape. Traces of Fort Poinsett could be seen until it was destroyed by the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. Cape Sable offers 3 officially designated campsites by National Park Service: The campsites are part of the ""outside route"" of the Everglades Wilderness Waterway. Permits are required for overnight stay. Cape Sable Cape Sable, Florida, is the southernmost point of the United States mainland and mainland Florida. It is located in southwestern Florida, in Monroe County, and is part of the Everglades National Park. The cape is a peninsula issuing from the"
"Keys along the edge of the Florida Straits is the Florida Reef (also known as the Florida Reef Tract). The Florida Reef extends 270 km from Fowey Rocks just east of Soldier Key to just south of the Marquesas Keys. It is the third-largest barrier reef system in the world. The climate and environment of the Florida Keys are closer to that of the Caribbean 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 of limestone grains produced by plants and"
"Key West Key West () is an island and city in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent. The city lies at the southernmost end of U.S. Route 1, the longest north-south road in the United States. Key West is the southernmost city in the contiguous United States and the westernmost island connected by highway in the Florida Keys. The island is about long and wide, with a total land mass of . Duval Street, its main street, is in length in its 14-block-long crossing from the Gulf of Mexico to the Straits of Florida and the Atlantic"
"1947. Biscayne Bay marks the southernmost extent of the Atlantic barrier islands, represented by Key Biscayne, and the northernmost extent of the Florida Keys at Elliott Key. The keys are distinguished from the barrier islands by the coral limestone that extends to the islands' surface under a thin veneer of topsoil, while the barrier islands are dominated by wave-deposited sands that cover most of the limestones. Biscayne Bay lies between low ridges of oolitic Miami Limestone on the west, forming Cutler Ridge, and the coral-based Key Largo Limestone that underlies Elliott Key and the keys to the south. The Miami"
"Lignumvitae Key Lignumvitae Key is an island in the upper Florida Keys. It is located due north of, and less than one mile from the easternmost tip of Lower Matecumbe Key. The island has the Keys' highest point above sea level of , which beats the island of Key West's Solares Hill by . This dark green island is covered in rare tropical hardwoods such as the island's namesake, Holywood Lignum-vitae (""Guaiacum sanctum""). Records of the ownership of Lignumvitae Key go back to 1843, including the years of 1919-1953 when the Matheson family of Miami owned the island. The island"
"Key Largo Key Largo () is an island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago and is the largest section of the Keys, at long. It is one of the northernmost of the Florida Keys in Monroe County, and the northernmost of the Keys connected by U.S. Highway 1 (the Overseas Highway). Its earlier Spanish name was ""Cayo Largo"", meaning long islet. Key Largo is connected to the mainland in Miami-Dade County by two routes. The first route is The Overseas Highway, which is U.S. Highway 1 that enters Key Largo at Jewfish Creek near the middle of the island and"
"Scout Key in the lower Florida Keys with the Atlantic Ocean on the east shore and the Gulf of Mexico directly to the west. Activities include: swimming, snorkeling, fishing and boating. There are four tropical campsites right on the Atlantic Ocean. Camp Everglades is owned by the South Florida Council, Boy Scouts of America. The campground is located within the Everglades National Park. The campground is primarily pine rockland forest with eight primitive campsites, a main campfire arena, a main covered shelter, and pitcher pump wells. Camp Seminole was closed after effects from Hurricane Wilma. When the camp was re-opened"
"key is sometimes confused with the similar-sounding Boca Chica Key over a hundred miles southwest on the lower Florida Keys. Boca Chita Key Boca Chita Key is the island north of the upper Florida Keys in Biscayne National Park, Miami-Dade County, Florida. The key is located in Biscayne Bay, just north of Sands Key. An ornamental 65-foot lighthouse is present on the key. The harbor has a bulkhead with cleats where boats may be tied. There is a campground with picnic tables and salt water toilets. Fresh water and electricity are not available on the island. On the north-west part"
"Soldier Key Soldier Key is an island in Biscayne National Park in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is located between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, about three miles north of the Ragged Keys, five miles south of Cape Florida on Key Biscayne, seven-and-a-half miles east of the mainland and three miles west of Fowey Rocks. It lies on the Safety Valve, a sand bar that separates Biscayne Bay from the Atlantic Ocean and moderates storm surges into the bay. The island is small, about 200 yards (200 meters) by 100 yards (100 meters) with a maximum elevation of six feet"
"Key, the southernmost portion of the Florida Keys, in 1989. On September 2, 2004, Brandt and Teri evacuated from their home ahead of Hurricane Ivan. Their niece, Michelle Lynn Jones, invited them to stay at her residence in near Orlando. Throughout the visit, Jones kept in regular contact with her mother, Mary Lou, as well as several friends. On the evening of September 13, one of Jones' friends, Lisa Emmons, was scheduled to visit her house. However, Jones discouraged her from coming after reporting that the Brandts had an argument after drinking. After that night, Jones stopped answering telephone calls,"
"Straits of Florida The Straits of Florida, Florida Straits, or Florida Strait () is a strait located south-southeast of the North American mainland, generally accepted to be between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, and between the Florida Keys (U.S.) and Cuba. It is 150 km (93 mi) wide at the narrowest point between Key West and the Cuban shore, and has been sounded to a depth of 6,000 feet (1,800 m). The strait carries the Florida Current, the beginning of the Gulf Stream, from the Gulf of Mexico. Five wells were drilled in state waters south of"
"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 Florida Keys are the exposed portions of an ancient coral reef. The northernmost island arising from the ancient reef formation is Elliott Key, in Biscayne 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"
"about six inches thick, topped by ""leaf litter"". The soil supports a diverse flora of herbaceous plants, woody shrubs and hardwood trees. Key Largo's climate is tropical (Aw or tropical savanna in Köppen climate classification). Frost has never been recorded on the island. Key Largo enjoys close to 3,000 hours of sunshine annually. Key Largo Key Largo () is an island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago and is the largest section of the Keys, at long. It is one of the northernmost of the Florida Keys in Monroe County, and the northernmost of the Keys connected by U.S. Highway"
"Cape Florida Light The Cape Florida Light is a lighthouse on Cape Florida at the south end of Key Biscayne in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Constructed in 1825, it guided mariners off the Florida Reef, which starts near Key Biscayne and extends southward a few miles offshore of the Florida Keys. It was operated by staff, with interruptions, until 1878, when it was replaced by the Fowey Rocks lighthouse. The lighthouse was put back into use in 1978 by the U.S. Coast Guard to mark the Florida Channel, the deepest natural channel into Biscayne Bay. They decommissioned it in 1990. Within"
"Pigeon Key, Florida Pigeon Key is a historic district located on the small island of Pigeon Key in the lower Florida Keys, United States. The island is named ""Cayo Paloma"" on many old Spanish charts. It is located off the old Seven Mile Bridge, at approximately mile marker 45, west of Knight's Key, (city of Marathon in the middle Florida Keys) and just east of Moser Channel, which is the deepest section of the seven-mile span. Said to be named for large flocks of white-crowned pigeons (""Columba leucocephala"" Linnaeus) which once roosted there. During the building of Henry Flagler's Overseas"
"Key Largo, Florida Key Largo is a census-designated place in Monroe County, Florida, United States, located on the island of Key Largo in the upper Florida Keys. The population was 10,433 at the 2010 census. The name comes from the Spanish ""Cayo Largo"", or ""long key"". It is both the first island and town of the Florida Keys to be reached from the Overseas Highway to Key West. It was also the location of one of the stations of the Overseas Railroad. Key Largo is located at (25.106637, -80.429917). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a"
"A sea level rise of is projected to increase saltwater intrusion into the Biscayne Aquifer. Higher rises will make the southern Everglades a saltwater marsh, altering the ecology of the region. Biscayne National Park Biscayne National Park is an American national park located in southern Florida, south of Miami. The park preserves Biscayne Bay and its offshore barrier reefs. Ninety-five percent of the park is water, and the shore of the bay is the location of an extensive mangrove forest. The park covers and includes Elliott Key, the park's largest island and first of the true Florida Keys, formed from"
"""Audubon House and Tropical Gardens"". Geiger Key Geiger Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys about east of Key West. It is located to the south of, and bridged to, Big Coppitt Key via Boca Chica Road (County Road 941) at approximately mile marker 11 on U.S. 1 (or the Overseas Highway). It is home to the small trailer park community of Tamarac, Geiger Key Pub & Grill and Geiger Key Marina. It is part of the census-designated place of Big Coppitt Key, Florida. It was named after Henry Huling Geiger, an early Keys settler, who had obtained"
"Knockemdown Key Knockemdown Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys approximately east of Key West. It is northwest of Summerland Key, between Cudjoe Key and Big Torch Key. It is currently owned by retired Milwaukee Brewers Pitcher Dave Voit. A tidal station managed by NOAA is located on the island. Access to the island is by boat only, with the closest public ramp located at the north end of Blimp Road on Cudjoe Key. Knockemdown Key is located at 24° 42.9’ N and 81° 28.7’ W, north of Summerland Key and northeast of Cudjoe Key. It has a"
"Summerland Key Summerland Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys approximately 20 miles east of Key West; it contains an unincorporated community of Monroe County of the same name. U.S. 1 (or the Overseas Highway) crosses the island at approximately mile markers 24—25.5, between Ramrod Key and Cudjoe Key. The name appears on U.S. Coast Survey chart #169 in 1878. Summerland Key is a bedroom community located almost midway between the larger communities of Marathon and Key West. It is home to the Brinton Environmental Center of the Florida National High Adventure Sea Base and is a field"
"area where the two bodies merge between Key West and Cuba is called the Straits of Florida. The warmest ocean waters anywhere on the United States mainland are found in the Florida Keys in winter, with sea surface temperatures averaging in the 75 to 77 °F range in December through February. Duval Street, its main street, is in length in its 14-block-long crossing from the Gulf of Mexico to the Straits of Florida and the Atlantic Ocean. Key West is closer to Havana (106 miles, or 170 km) than it is to Miami (127 miles or 207 km, farther by"
"Fleming Key Fleming Key is an island off the northwest corner of the island of Key West, Florida in the lower Florida Keys. It is roughly long by wide. It is connected to the island of Key West by the Fleming Key Bridge (Mustin Road), having of clearance over Fleming Key Cut, a small channel. The island and bridge road are part of a section of the Naval Air Station Key West called Trumbo Point and are inaccessible to civilians without US Navy clearance. The island has a 10 million gallon per day wastewater treatment plant. It also includes a"
"Long Key State Park Long Key State Park is a Florida State Park located on Long Key, one of the Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It is at mile marker 67.5 on U.S. 1, 67400 Overseas Highway. Prehistoric coral reefs grew here over the course of millennia, when the sea level was over deeper. The remnants came to form Long Key, and the rest of the Florida Keys. The climate and waters provided abundant plant and aquatic life for the Calusa, who settled in the area long before Spanish explorers arrived. ""Cayo Vivora"", or Rattlesnake Key, is"
"Boca Chita Key Boca Chita Key is the island north of the upper Florida Keys in Biscayne National Park, Miami-Dade County, Florida. The key is located in Biscayne Bay, just north of Sands Key. An ornamental 65-foot lighthouse is present on the key. The harbor has a bulkhead with cleats where boats may be tied. There is a campground with picnic tables and salt water toilets. Fresh water and electricity are not available on the island. On the north-west part of the island is the Boca Chita Key Historic District containing historic structures such as the Boca Chita lighthouse. This"
"Little Torch Key Little Torch Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys. It is a small, quiet Key with easy access to Key West (approximately 29 miles). For divers, the incredible corals of Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary are only a few miles away. The exclusive resort, Little Palm Island, is located just offshore of Little Torch Key. U.S. Route 1 (also known as the Overseas Highway), crosses the key at approximately mile markers 28—29. It is immediately preceded to the northeast by Big Pine Key, and is followed by Middle Torch Key to the southwest. A small"
"Solares Hill Solares Hill is the highest point of land on the island of Key West in the lower Florida Keys in Monroe County, Florida. The peak elevation of the hill is above sea level. The summit of the hill is next to the Key West Cemetery in the section of the island called Old Town, Key West. Solares Hill is also the name of a former weekly newspaper, founded in 1971 and independent until 1998, when it was bought by The Key West Citizen, the only local daily newspaper. It is now published as a section of the newspaper's"
"Scout Key Scout Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys. It was previously known as West Summerland Key until 2010. U.S. 1 (the Overseas Highway) crosses the key at approximately mile markers 34—35, between Spanish Harbor Key and Big Pine Key. The Key was renamed to reflect the two adjoining scout camps on it, Boy Scout Camp Sawyer and Girl Scout Camp Wesumkee. The name change also removed some confusion about its location – despite its name, the formerly-named West Summerland Key is actually about 10 miles ""east"" of Summerland Key. Originally, there were three keys at this"