Key Largo

Key Largo is a large island located in the lower Florida Keys archipelago. It is the largest section of the keys by length. The island sits within Monroe County in the state of Florida. It is one of the northernmost islands in this chain. It also serves as the northernmost part of the keys connected by U.S. Highway 1, also known as the Overseas Highway.

There are three main census-designated places on the island. These areas are North Key Largo, Key Largo, and Tavernier. North Key Largo is located near the Card Sound Bridge. The area known as Key Largo begins near the southernmost point of the island. Tavernier sits at the southern end of the island. As of 2020, these three areas had a combined population of 16,408 people. The island is not an incorporated municipality. Instead, it is governed locally by Monroe County.

Visitors can reach the island from the mainland in Miami-Dade County using two specific routes. Both routes originate at Florida City. The first is the Overseas Highway, which is the southernmost part of U.S. Highway 1. This road enters the island at Jewfish Creek and then turns southwest. The second route is Card Sound Road. This road connects to the northern end of Key Largo. It runs southeast to meet County Road 905, which eventually joins U.S. 1 at mile marker 106.

Geologically, Key Largo is a unique fossilized remnant of an ancient coral reef. This reef formed during a period when sea levels were much higher. During a later ice age, the land was uncovered and eroded. Today, the island's substrate consists of Key Largo Limestone. In many locations, you can see fossilized corals on the surface. A slight ridge forms the spine of the island and represents its highest elevation. The land also features solution holes. These are shallow depressions created when acidic rainwater dissolves the limestone.

The island's environment is quite distinct from typical sandy beaches. There are no natural sand beaches on Key Largo. The natural shoreline is generally rocky. Near the shore, the soil is a slippery, gray, limestone-based clay called marl. Further inland, the soil is a rich, acidic humus made from decomposed vegetation. This soil can be up to 6 inches thick and is topped by leaf litter. This environment supports a variety of woody shrubs, hardwood trees, and herbaceous plants.

Key Largo is famous for its proximity to significant natural wonders. It sits between Everglades National Park to the northwest and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park to the east. This state park was the first underwater park in the United States. It protects part of the Florida Reef, which is the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States. The reef is vital for coastal protection. It can dissipate up to 97% of the wave forces from hurricanes and tropical storms. Because of this, the reef provides over $675 million in storm surge protection every year.

Because of these reefs, Key Largo is called the "Diving Capital of the World." Thousands of scuba divers, scientific researchers, and sport-fishing enthusiasts visit every year. The island also serves as a starting point for ecotourists and kayakers due to its closeness to the Everglades. The climate is a tropical monsoon climate, known as Am. This means the summers are hot and wet, while the winters are warm and moderately dry. The island is very sunny, receiving nearly 3,000 hours of sunshine annually. It is so warm that frost has never been recorded there.

The history of the island involves many different cultures and names. In the 16th century, Europeans arrived to find indigenous peoples like the Calusa and Tequesta. A shipwreck survivor named Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda lived with the Calusa from 1549 to 1566. A Dutch map from 1639 called the island Caio des 12 Leguas. Later, Spanish explorers named it Cayo Largo, which means "long islet." In 1870, a post office opened at Rock Harbor. After the 1948 film *Key Largo* became successful, the name of the northern post office was changed to Key Largo in 1952. This ensured residents north of Tavernier had a Key Largo address.