Editing Florida Keys

{{Short description|Coral cay archipelago in Florida, United States}}
{{Distinguish|Florida Islands}}
{{Infobox islands
| name               = Florida Keys
| sobriquet          = <!-- or |nickname= -->
| image_name         = Islamorada Florida.jpg
| image_size         = 
| image_caption      = Coconut palms in [[Islamorada, Florida]] in the Florida Keys
| image_alt          = 
| image_map          = Florida plateau.jpg
| map_alt            = 
| map_size           = 
| map_caption        = The Keys were formed near the edge of the [[Florida Platform]].
| pushpin_map        = 
| pushpin_label      = 
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_alt    = 
| pushpin_relief     = 
| pushpin_map_caption = 
| coordinates        = {{Coord|24|40|01|N|81|32|39|W|region:US_type:isle_source:dewiki_scale:1000000|display=inline,title}}
| etymology          = 
| location           = Florida Straits
| GridReference      = <!-- UK only -->
| archipelago        = 
| waterbody          = 
| total_islands      = 
| major_islands      = 
| area_km2           = 356
| area_footnotes     = 
| rank               = 
| length_km          = <!-- or |length_m=  -->
| length_footnotes   = 
| width_km           = <!-- or |width_m=  -->
| width_footnotes    = 
| coastline_km       = <!-- or |coastline_m=  -->
| coastline_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 
| elevation_footnotes = 
| highest_mount      = 
| country            = United States
| country_admin_divisions_title = State
| country_admin_divisions = Florida
| country_admin_divisions_title_1 = 
| country_admin_divisions_1 = 
| country_admin_divisions_title_2 = 
| country_admin_divisions_2 = 
| country_capital_type = 
| country_capital    = 
| country_largest_city_type = 
| country_largest_city = 
| country_capital_and_largest_city = 
| country_largest_city_population = 
| country_leader_title = 
| country_leader_name = 
| country_area_km2   = <!-- or |country_area_m2= or |country_area_ha= -->
| country_1          = 
| country_1_admin_divisions_title = 
| country_1_admin_divisions = 
| country_1_admin_divisions_title_1 = 
| country_1_admin_divisions_1 = 
| country_1_capital_type = 
| country_1_capital  = 
| country_1_largest_city_type = 
| country_1_largest_city = 
| country_1_capital_and_largest_city = 
| country_1_largest_city_population = 
| country_1_leader_title = 
| country_1_leader_name = 
| country_1_area_km2 = <!-- or |country_1_area_m2= or |country_1_area_ha= -->
| demonym            = 
| population         = 82,874
| population_as_of   = 2020
| population_footnotes = 
| population_rank    = 
| population_rank_max = 
| density_km2        = 
| density_rank       = 
| density_footnotes  = 
| languages          = 
| ethnic_groups      = 
| timezone1          = 
| utc_offset1        = 
| timezone1_DST      = 
| utc_offset1_DST    = 
| website            = 
| additional_info    = 
| footnotes          = 
}}

[[File:Floridakeys-nasa.jpg|thumbnail|upright=1.2|Satellite image of the Florida Keys, December 2003]]
The '''Florida Keys''' are a [[coral island|coral]] [[cay]] [[archipelago]] off the southern coast of [[Florida]], forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida [[peninsula]], about {{convert|15|mi|km}} south of [[Miami]] and extend in an arc south-southwest and then westward to [[Key West, Florida|Key West]], the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited [[Dry Tortugas]]. The islands lie along the [[Florida Straits]], dividing the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the east from the [[Gulf of Mexico]] to the northwest, and defining one edge of [[Florida Bay]]. The southern part of Key West is {{convert|93|mi|km}} from [[Cuba]]. The Keys are located between about 24.3 and 25.5 degrees North latitude.

More than 95% of the land area lies in [[Monroe County, Florida|Monroe County]], but a small portion extends northeast into [[Miami-Dade County, Florida|Miami-Dade County]], such as [[Totten Key]]. The total land area is {{convert|137.3|sqmi}}. At the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]] the population was 73,090, with an average density of {{convert|532.34|/sqmi}},<ref name="QuickFacts2014">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12/12087.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 25, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607002653/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12/12087.html|archive-date=June 7, 2011}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Monroe County, Florida; Key West city, Florida|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/monroecountyflorida,keywestcityflorida/PST045223|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=February 7, 2024}}</ref>

The city of Key West is the [[county seat]] of Monroe County. The county consists of a section on the [[mainland]] which is almost entirely in [[Everglades National Park]], and the Keys islands from [[Key Largo]] to [[Dry Tortugas National Park]].

==History==
[[File:Florida Keys (from Lower Matecumbe Key to Key Largo) by Sentinel-2.jpg|alt=|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Lower Matecumbe Key]] to [[Key Largo]], captured by the [[Sentinel-2]] satellite]]
[[File:Florida Keys (from Key West to Big Pine Key) by Sentinel-2.jpg|alt=|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Key West]] to [[Big Pine Key, Florida|Big Pine Key]], seen from Sentinel-2 satellite]]
The Keys were originally inhabited by the [[Calusa]] and [[Tequesta]] people and were later charted by [[Juan Ponce de León]] in 1513. De León named the islands ''Los Martires'' ("The Martyrs"), as they looked like suffering men from a distance.<ref>Journal of Antonio de Herrera quoted in Goodwin-Nguyen, S (2008) Key West: A Comprehensive Guide to Florida's Southernmost City, Channel Lake, p. 19.</ref> "Key" is derived from the Spanish word ''cayo'', meaning small island. For many years, Key West was the largest town in Florida, and it grew prosperous on [[Wrecking (shipwreck)#The Florida Keys|wrecking]] revenues. The isolated outpost was well located for trade with Cuba and the Bahamas and was on the main trade route from [[New Orleans]]. Improved navigation led to fewer shipwrecks, and Key West went into a decline in the late nineteenth century. <!-- A legend says that removed navigational markers from shallow areas to strand unsuspecting captains ashore.<ref>{{cite web | work=Frommer's | title="The Keys: Introduction" | url=http://www.frommers.com/destinations/thekeys/0385010001.html | access-date=2008-06-06 | year=2008}}</ref> See talk page -->

===Overseas Railway===
The Keys were long accessible only by water. This changed with the completion of [[Henry Flagler]]'s [[Overseas Railway]] in the early 1910s. Flagler, a major developer of Florida's Atlantic coast, extended his [[Florida East Coast Railway]] down to Key West with an ambitious series of oversea railroad trestles. Three hurricanes disrupted the project in [[1906 Florida Keys hurricane|1906]], [[1909 Atlantic hurricane season#Hurricane Ten|1909]], and [[1910 Cuba hurricane|1910]].

===1935 Labor Day hurricane===
{{Main|1935 Labor Day hurricane}}
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 {{convert|200|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}, raising a storm surge more than {{convert|17.5|ft|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 at [[Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale|Category 5]] strength on the U.S. coast since reliable weather records began (about 1850). The other storms were [[Hurricane Camille]] (1969), [[Hurricane Andrew]] (1992), and [[Hurricane 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 the [[Overseas Highway]] ([[U.S. Route 1 in Florida|U.S. Highway 1]]) replaced the railroad as the main transportation route from Miami to Key West.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://overseasrailroad.railfan.net/about.htm|title=about|website=overseasrailroad.railfan.net}}</ref>

===Seven Mile Bridge===
{{main|Seven Mile Bridge}}
One of the [[List of bridges by length|longest bridges]] when it was built, the [[Seven Mile Bridge]] connects [[Knight's Key]] (part of the city of [[Marathon, Florida|Marathon]] in the Middle Keys) to [[Little Duck Key]] in the Lower Keys. The piling-supported concrete bridge is {{convert|35862|ft|m|abbr=on}} or 6.79 miles (10.93&nbsp;km) long. The current bridge bypasses [[Pigeon Key]], a small island that housed workers building [[Henry Flagler]]'s [[Florida East Coast Railway]] in the 1900s, that the original Seven Mile Bridge crossed. A {{convert|2.2|mi|km|adj=on}} 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 the [[Florida 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.

===Overseas Highway===
{{main|Overseas Highway}}
After the destruction of the Keys railway by the [[Labor Day Hurricane of 1935]], the railroad bridges, including the Seven Mile Bridge, were converted to automobile roadways. This roadway, U.S. Highway 1, became the [[Overseas 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 largest [[coral reef]] chain in the United States.

===Cuban exiles===
Following the [[Cuban 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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article252171113.html|title=Cuban migrant boat found on Miami Beach from Florida Keys|website=Miami Herald}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/florida-keys/article250563169.html|title=Cuban migrants arrive on shore in the Florida Keys|website=Miami Herald}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://miami.cbslocal.com/2021/06/03/cuban-migrants-key-biscayne/|title=Cuban Migrants Make It To Shore in Key Biscayne|website=cbslocal.com}}</ref>

===Conch Republic===
{{Main|Conch Republic}}
In 1982, the [[United States Border Patrol]] established a roadblock and inspection points on [[US Highway 1]], stopping all northbound traffic returning to the mainland at [[Florida City, Florida|Florida 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 in [[Miami]], on April 23, 1982, Key West mayor [[Dennis Wardlow]] and the city council declared the independence of the city of [[Key West, Florida|Key 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]]".<ref>[http://www.conchrepublic.com/history.htm The Conch Republic<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102113712/http://www.conchrepublic.com/history.htm |date=2012-11-02 }}</ref>

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.

==Geology==
The northern and central sections of the Florida Keys are the exposed portions of an ancient [[coral reef]], the [[Key Largo Limestone]]. 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 are [[barrier island]]s, built up of sand.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071107101748/http://www.nps.gov/archive/bisc/resource/island.htm  U.S. National Park Service] Link recovered from Internet Archive December 23, 2010<br />Blank, Joan Gill. 1996. Key Biscayne. Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press, Inc. {{ISBN|1-56164-096-4}}. P. 150.</ref> The islands in the southwestern part of the chain, from [[Big Pine Key]] to the [[Marquesas Keys]], are exposed areas of [[Miami Oolite|Miami Limestone]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/sgmc-unit.php?unit=FLPSm%3B0|title=Miami Limestone|publisher=United States Geological Survey|access-date=May 7, 2019}}</ref>

The Florida Keys have taken their present form as the result of the drastic changes in sea level associated with recent [[glaciation]]s or ''[[ice age]]s''. Beginning some 130,000 years ago the [[Sangamonian|Sangamonian Stage]] raised sea levels about {{convert|25|ft|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 submerged [[Florida 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 from [[Soldier Key]] (midway between Key Biscayne and Elliott Key) to the southeast portion of [[Big Pine Key]] and the Newfound Harbor Keys. The types of [[coral]] 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 denser ''cap rock'', which can be seen as outcrops overlying the Key Largo and Miami limestones throughout the Keys. The limestone that eroded from the reef formed [[oolite]]s in the shallow sea behind the reef, and together with the skeletal remains of [[bryozoan]]s, 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 recent [[calcareous]] 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 which [[tidal channel]]s cut through a submerged oolitic deposit. The bars [[Lithification|lithified]] 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.usgs.gov/archive/sites/sofia.usgs.gov/publications/papers/keys_geohydro/pleistocene.html|title=Pleistocene geology|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508123127/https://archive.usgs.gov/archive/sites/sofia.usgs.gov/publications/papers/keys_geohydro/pleistocene.html|archive-date=May 8, 2019|url-status=dead|date=September 4, 2013|website=USGS South Florida Information Access|access-date=May 8, 2019}}</ref>

Just offshore of the Florida Keys along the edge of the Florida Straits is the [[Florida Reef]] (also known as the Florida Reef Tract), separated from the keys by the [[Hawk Channel]]. The Florida Reef extends {{convert|270|km|order=flip}} from [[Fowey Rocks Light|Fowey Rocks]] just east of Soldier Key to just south of the Marquesas Keys. It is the third-largest [[coral reef|barrier reef]] system in the world.<ref>[http://coris.noaa.gov/portals/florida.html ''Florida'' NOAA's Coral Reef Information System] Accessed December 14, 2010.</ref>

==Environment==
[[File:Royal Poinciana.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Delonix regia|Royal Poinciana]] tree in full bloom in the Florida Keys]]
[[File:Florida_Keys_Coconut_Palm_2008.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Coconut palm]] trees are grown all over [[South Florida]].<ref>[http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg043 "The Coconut Palm in Florida", Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida]</ref>]]
[[File:Sunset at Keys.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Sunset near [[Marathon, Florida|Marathon]]]]

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 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 to [[marl]] to rich, decomposed [[leaf litter]]. In some places, "caprock" (the eroded surface of coral formations) covers the ground. Rain falling through [[Plant litter|leaf debris]] becomes acidic and dissolves holes in the limestone, where soil accumulates and trees root.

=== Flora and fauna ===
[[File:Key deer male.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|A male [[Key Deer]] on [[No Name Key]] in the lower Keys]]
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|''Pinus elliottii'' var. ''densa'']]) and oaks (''[[Oak|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 the [[American crocodile]], [[Key deer]] (protected by the [[National Key Deer Refuge]]), and the [[Key Largo woodrat]]. The Keys are part of the northernmost range of the American crocodile, which is found throughout the [[Neotropics]]. The Key Largo Woodrat is found only in the northern part of its namesake island and is a focus of management activities in [[Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge]]. About 70 miles (110&nbsp;km) west of Key West is [[Dry Tortugas National Park]].

The waters surrounding the Keys are part of a protected area known as the [[Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary]].

==Climate==
The climate of the Florida Keys is [[tropical savanna climate|tropical savanna]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: Aw).<ref>[http://www2.johnabbott.qc.ca/webpages/departments/geoscience/intro/Koppen/KoppenMap.htm Köppen Climate Classification Map] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706200651/http://www2.johnabbott.qc.ca/webpages/departments/geoscience/intro/Koppen/KoppenMap.htm |date=2011-07-06 }} on [[John Abbott College]].</ref> 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 {{cvt|41|°F}} (in both 1886 and 1981), and low temperatures below {{cvt|48|°F}} 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 {{cvt|75|°F}} and lows above {{cvt|60|°F}}, 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 is [[Shrubland|scrub]], stunted due to the intense sun, quick draining sandy soil, and arid winter climate. 
{{Key West weatherbox}}

===Tropical cyclones===
[[File:Florida Current map.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|{{center|Typical current flows<br />throughout the Florida Keys<br /><small>([[NOAA]] June 2010)</small>}}]]
The Keys are occasionally threatened by [[tropical storm]]s and [[hurricane]]s, leading to evacuations to the mainland. [[Hurricane Georges]], after destroying much of the housing and infrastructure on many of the [[List of Caribbean islands|Caribbean islands]], caused damage and extensive flooding in the Lower Keys in 1998, before making [[Landfall (meteorology)|landfall]] in [[Mississippi]]. In 2005, Hurricanes [[Hurricane Katrina|Katrina]], [[Hurricane Rita|Rita]] and [[Hurricane Wilma|Wilma]] affected the Keys (although none made a direct hit), causing widespread damage and flooding. The most severe hurricane to hit the area was the [[Labor 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 {{convert|20|ft|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.<ref name="illegal_enclosures">{{cite web|url=http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html |title=U.S. Government Printing Office |date=June 27, 2000 |work=United States Government |pages=39276–39578 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060928192054/http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html |archive-date=September 28, 2006 }}</ref>

Because of the threat from storm surge, evacuations are routinely ordered when the [[National 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/12/us/irma-damage-aftermath/index.html|title=Florida official: Death toll rises to 12 in state |first1=Holly |last1=Yan |first2=Madison |last2=Park |first3=Steve |last3=Almasy |publisher=CNN|access-date=12 September 2017 |date=12 September 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912062853/http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/12/us/irma-damage-aftermath/index.html |archive-date= 12 September 2017 }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/11/weather/florida-keys-destruction-hurricane-irma/index.html|title=Florida Keys: Level of destruction uncertain, but it's not looking good|first=Eliott C. |last=McLaughlin |publisher=CNN |access-date=12 September 2017 |date=12 September 2017}}</ref> Governor [[Rick Scott]] reported devastation; most areas were without power or water.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/hurricane-irmas-impact-from-the-air-florida-keys-are-raggedy-but-mostly-spared/2017/09/11/e9c2ecca-975c-11e7-82e4-f1076f6d6152_story.html |url-access=subscription |title=Hurricane Irma's impact, from the air: Florida Keys battered but spared the worst in near miss|first=Joel|last=Achenbach|date=11 September 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=12 September 2017}}</ref> The damage was the worst in the Lower Keys, though less severe in Key West;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/09/12/damage-heavy-key-west-but-booze-still-flows/659868001/|title=Damage heavy on Key West, but booze still flows|website=USA Today |date=Sep 12, 2017 |first1=Trevor |last1=Hughes |access-date=14 April 2018}}</ref> parts of the Lower Keys may be uninhabitable for months.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/11/florida-keys-facing-potential-humanitarian-crisis-in-irma-aftermath|title=Florida Keys facing potential 'humanitarian crisis' in Irma aftermath|first1=Richard |last1=Luscombe |first2=Ed |last2=Pilkington|date=11 September 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=12 September 2017}}</ref>

==Major islands==
[[File:Map of the western Florida Keys, from the Dry Tortugas to Little Torch Key, showing boundaries of National Marine Sanctuaries 2000.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Map of the Florida Keys, from the [[Dry Tortugas]] to [[Little Torch Key]], showing boundaries of [[United States National Marine Sanctuary|National Marine Sanctuaries]]]]
[[File:Fkeast 2000.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Map of the Florida Keys, from [[Key West]] to the [[Ragged Keys]] in [[Biscayne National Park]], showing boundaries of [[United States National Marine Sanctuary|National Marine Sanctuaries]] (overlaps map above from Key West to Little Torch Key)]]
[[U.S. Route 1 in Florida#The Keys|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 marker]]s are listed for keys that the Overseas Highway runs across or near:<ref name=sld>[http://www2.dot.state.fl.us/Straight-linesOnlineGIS/ FDOT straight line diagrams] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306153400/http://www2.dot.state.fl.us/Straight-linesOnlineGIS/ |date=March 6, 2014 }}, accessed April 2014.</ref>
* [[Dry Tortugas]]
* [[Loggerhead Key]]
* [[Marquesas Keys]]
* [[Sunset Key]]
* [[Wisteria Island]]
* [[Key West]] (MM 0–4)
* [[Fleming Key]]
* [[Sigsbee Park]] (off to the north at MM 2¾)
* [[Stock Island]] (MM 5)
* [[Raccoon Key]] (off to the north at MM 5¼)<!--old topos show that US 1 only crosses fill, not the original Raccoon Key-->
* [[Boca Chica Key]] (MM 7–8)
* [[Rockland Key]] (MM 9)
* [[East Rockland Key]] (MM 9½)
* [[Big Coppitt Key]] (MM 10)
* [[Geiger Key]] (off to the south at MM 10¾)
* [[Shark Key]] (off to the north at MM 11¼)
* [[Saddlebunch Keys]] (MM 12–16)
* [[Lower Sugarloaf Key]] (MM 17)
* [[Park Key]] (MM 18)
* [[Sugarloaf Key]] (MM 19–20)
* [[Cudjoe Key]] (MM 21–23)
* [[Knockemdown Key]]
* [[Summerland Key]] (MM 24–25)
* [[Ramrod Key]] (MM 27)
* [[Middle Torch Key]], [[Big Torch Key]] (off to the north at MM 27¾)
* [[Little Torch Key]] (MM 28½)
* [[Big Pine Key]] (MM 30–32)
* [[No Name Key]]
* [[Scout Key]] (MM 34–35), formerly known as West Summerland Key<!--and Spanish Harbor Key?-->
* [[Bahia Honda Key]] (MM 37–38)
* [[Ohio Key]] (MM 38¾), also known as Sunshine Key
* [[Missouri Key]] (MM 39¼)<!--why is this one not signed on US 1?-->
* [[Little Duck Key]] (MM 39¾)
The [[Seven Mile Bridge]] (MM 40–46¾) separates the Lower Keys from the Middle Keys:
* [[Pigeon Key]] (off to the north near MM 45; access is at MM 46¾)
* [[Knights Key]] (MM 47)<!--why is this only signed off to the south from US 1?-->
* [[Vaca Key]] (MM 48–53)
* [[Boot Key]] (off to the south at MM 48; bridge closed)
* [[Fat Deer Key]] (MM 53¼-55)
* [[Shelter Key]] (off to the south at MM 53¾)
* [[Long Point Key]] (MM 56)<!--why is this one not signed on US 1?-->
* [[Crawl Key]] (MM 56½)<!--why is this one not signed on US 1?-->
* [[Grassy Key]] (MM 58–60)
(Knights, Vaca, Boot, Long Point, Crawl, and Grassy Keys, as well as most of Fat Deer Key, are incorporated in the city of [[Marathon, Florida|Marathon]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://library8.municode.com:80/default-test/template.htm?view=browse&doc_action=setdoc&doc_keytype=tocid&doc_key=c70fb31f855ba857c8ad5ca03f95e787&infobase=13811|title=Code of ordinances, City of Marathon, Florida}}{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The remaining portion of Fat Deer Key and most of Shelter Key are part of [[Key Colony Beach, Florida|Key Colony Beach]].):
* [[Duck Key]] (MM 61)<!--yes, signs show that Duck Key is on US 1, not only off to the south-->
* [[Conch Key]] (MM 62–63)<!--including Little Conch Key-->
The [[Long Key Bridge]] (MM 63¼-65¼) separates the Middle Keys from the Upper Keys:
* [[Long Key]] (MM 66–70), formerly known as Rattlesnake Key
* [[Fiesta Key]] (off to the north at MM 70)
* [[Craig Key]] (MM 72)
* [[Lower Matecumbe Key]] (MM 74–77)
* [[Lignumvitae Key]]
* [[Indian Key]]
* [[Indian Key Fill]] (MM 79)
* [[Tea Table]] (MM 79½)<!--yes, that's what signs say; is Tea Table Key separate?-->
* [[Upper Matecumbe Key]] (MM 80–83)
* [[Windley Key]] (MM 85)<!--MM 84 is physically on the bridge to Upper Matecumbe-->
* [[Plantation Key]] (MM 86–90)
(Lower Matecumbe through Plantation Keys are incorporated as [[Islamorada, Florida|Islamorada]], Village of Islands. The "towns" of [[Key Largo, Florida|Key Largo]], [[North Key Largo, Florida|North Key Largo]] and [[Tavernier, Florida|Tavernier]], all on the island of Key Largo, are not incorporated.):
* [[Key Largo]] (MM 91–107)
* [[Tavernier Key]]
* [[Rodriguez Key]]
All keys north of [[Broad Creek (Florida)|Broad Creek]] are in [[Biscayne National Park]] and [[Miami-Dade County, FL|Miami-Dade County]]. The following are "true" Florida Keys (exposed ancient coral reefs):
* [[Old Rhodes Key]]
* [[Totten Key]]
* [[Reid Key]]
* [[Rubicon Keys]]
* [[Adams Key]]
* [[Elliott Key]]
The following are "transitional keys", made of exposed ancient reef surrounded by sand:
* [[Sands Key]]
* [[Boca Chita Key]]
* [[Ragged Keys]]
* [[Soldier Key]]
[[Key Biscayne]] is not one of the Florida Keys, but the southernmost of the [[barrier island]]s along the Atlantic coast of Florida.

==Transportation==
[[File:Seven Mile Bridge, part of the Overseas Highway.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The [[Seven Mile Bridge]] is part of the [[Overseas Highway]].]]
The main chain of Keys islands can be traveled by motor vehicles on the [[Overseas Highway]], a {{convert|127|mi|km|adj=on}} section of [[U.S. Route 1 in Florida|U.S. 1]], which runs from Key West to [[Fort Kent, Maine]] in its entirety. The highway was built parallel to the original route of the [[Overseas Railway]], which was not rebuilt following the [[Labor 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.

===Public transportation===
[[File:FlkeysFISHING.JPG|thumb|upright=1.2|Fishing in the Florida Keys, May 2007]]
The Florida Keys has public bus transportation.

===Road hazards===
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,<ref>[http://www.fla-keys.com/weather.cfm Tourism Development Council information] Accessed September 27, 2007.</ref> the Florida Keys attract several hundred thousand tourists annually.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.florida-keys.fl.us/ntmarine.htm |title=Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary |access-date=2010-02-08 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709054747/http://www.florida-keys.fl.us/ntmarine.htm |archive-date=July 9, 2012 }}</ref> While some visitors arrive via [[Key West International Airport]] and [[Florida Keys Marathon Airport]] in [[Marathon, Florida|Marathon]], cruise ship or ferry from [[Miami]], [[Fort Myers, Florida|Fort Myers]], or Marco Island, Florida, the vast majority of tourists drive down from the mainland on U.S. 1.<ref>[http://monroecofl.virtualtownhall.net/pages/MonroeCoFL_TDC/Research/FY05VPS.pdf Monroe County Tourist Development Council Survey] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026210927/http://monroecofl.virtualtownhall.net/pages/MonroeCoFL_TDC/Research/FY05VPS.pdf |date=2007-10-26 }} Accessed September 27, 2007.</ref> 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 [[car accident|automobile accidents]] in the state of Florida.<ref>[http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/hsmvdocs/CS2006.pdf Florida Highway Patrol 2006 accident statistics] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026210925/http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/hsmvdocs/CS2006.pdf |date=2007-10-26 }} Accessed September 27, 2007.</ref>

==Culture and recreation==
The major industries are fishing and tourism, including [[ecotourism]], with many visitors [[scuba diving]] in the area's protected waters. A ferry takes riders between Key West and [[Fort Myers, Florida|Fort Myers]], as well as [[Marco Island]] due north on the mainland, along the western edge of Florida Bay.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Key West Express in Fort Myers Beach, FL|url=https://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/listing.a0t40000007quAtAAI.html|access-date=2020-12-23|website=Visit Florida|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Dark skies recreation===
[[File:Scout Key Milky Way.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|25s long exposure of [[Milky Way]] at [[Scout Key]], April 2018]]
[[File:Bahia Honda State Park Milky Way.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|20s long exposure of [[Bahia Honda State Park]] Milky Way, October 2016]]

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 by [[light pollution]] associated with urban development.

[[Scout Key]] is home to [[Winter Star Party]], a prominent annual amateur astronomy event in the United States, and one of the Top 10 star parties in the world according to [[BBC Sky at Night]]. It is an international gathering that attracts 500+ people each year who enjoy stargazing, astrophotography and Milky Way photography.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.scas.org/home/winterstarparty |title=in SCAS {{!}} Winter Star Party |access-date=2018-10-27 |archive-date=2018-10-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021121311/http://www.scas.org/Home/winterStarParty |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[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.<ref>[https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/event-view.cfm?Event_ID=73706 in Florida Keys Astronomy Club {{!}} Events]</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Florida}}
* [[Adam's Bridge]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Other references==
* <cite style="font-style:normal" id="Reference-Jeff-1995">Jeff, Ripple (1995). ''The Florida Keys: the Natural Wonders of an Island Paradise'', Photographs by Bill Keogh, [[Stillwater, Minnesota|Stillwater]], Minnesota: Voyageur Press. {{ISBN|0-89658-262-0}}.</cite>
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070501113122/http://www.jasonproject.org/jason7/curriculum/water_movement.html Jason Project The Story of Water Movement and Land Formation] – accessed January 28, 2006.
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20081006055851/http://www.thefloridakeys-keywest.com/AboutFLKeys/about.html About the Florida Keys]}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100714173844/http://nolimitcharters.net/fish Florida Keys Fish]

==External links==
{{Commons category|Florida Keys}}
{{Collier's Poster}}
* [http://keys.fiu.edu/gazetteer A Gazetteer of the Florida Keys] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806130546/http://keys.fiu.edu/gazetteer |date=2020-08-06 }}
* {{Wikivoyage-inline|Florida Keys}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110917043054/http://www.keywestcity.com/ City of Key West]
* [http://www.marathonflorida.org City of Marathon]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121102113712/http://www.conchrepublic.com/history.htm History of the Conch Republic]
* [http://www.nps.gov/drto National Park Service: Dry Tortugas]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20031003221709/http://www.fknms.nos.noaa.gov/ NOAA Marine Sanctuary]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090610023140/http://www.protectingourwater.org/watersheds/map/florida_keys/ Florida Keys Watershed – Florida DEP]}}

===Media===
* [http://keysnews.com Key West Citizen]

{{Florida}}
{{Florida Keys}}
{{Geography of Florida}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Florida Keys| ]]
[[Category:Outstanding Florida Waters]]
[[Category:Regions of Florida]]
[[Category:South Florida]]
[[Category:Archipelagoes of the United States]]