Facts About the Florida Keys
Airports
There are two airports located in the Keys - one is located on Marathon near mile marker 50 and the other one is in Key West. The airport in Key West has commercial flights with the one in Marathon accepting private planes and offering rental cars.
Area Code
The area code for all of the Florida Keys is (305).
Artificial Reefs
Over 23 artificial reefs have been established in the waters off the Florida Keys since 1981. These man-made reefs are home to many corals, tropical fish and other marine life.
Boca Chica Naval Air Station
Since 1941 the Naval Air Station has taken up most of Boca Chica Key. This area was selected by the Navy because the weather conditions for flying are better in the Keys than in any other part of the U.S.
Bridges
There are 42 bridges connecting the islands of the Florida Keys. The longest is the famous Seven-mile Bridge, which is 35,716 feet long. The shortest is Harris Gap, which is only 37 feet long. The Overseas Highway is comprised of 18.8 miles of bridges – 15% of total travel time in the Keys is spent on bridges!
Three of the Keys bridges have been named National Historic Sites - old Seven Mile, Bahia Honda and Long Key.
County
The Florida Keys are all part of Monroe County, with the county seat being Key West.
Highest Elevation in the Keys
Windley Key holds the record of being the highest elevation in the Florida Keys - at 18 feet above sea level!
Mile Markers and US 1
US 1, also known as the Overseas Highway, was completed in 1938 and is used to travel the islands of the Florida Keys. Today, the highway runs from Fort Kent, Maine to Key West, Florida. The small green signs with white numbers posted along the highway are Mile Markers. Make sure you go to Key West to Mile Marker 0, great photo op!
Queen Conch
It is prohibited to catch a Queen Conch within the Florida Keys waters. The conch shell used to be used as a means of communication and the meat harvested locally, but all conch you'll eat in the Keys now comes from the Bahamas.
Reefs
Located just a few miles offshore of the Florida Keys is North America’s only living coral reef ecosystem.
Sea Turtles
The most common sea turtle found in Florida Keys waters are Loggerhead turtles. Florida has the most sea turtle nesting within the U.S.
Time Zone
The Florida Keys are located in the Eastern time zone.
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