Key West

Key West is a small island.

It is in the state of Florida. It sits near the warm sea.

The island has a special name. The Spanish name means "bone cay." This is because of the island's past.

Many people work on the water. Long ago, people made salt from the sea. They also caught turtles and fish.

Today, big ships visit the island.

People also fly on planes to get there. It is a busy place to visit.

Key West is an island at the southern end of Florida.

It sits in the Straits of Florida. This area is between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The island is north of Cuba.

The island has a Spanish name, Cayo Hueso. This means "bone cay." Long ago, the island was a place for burials. Today, the city has 26,444 people. Its motto is "One Human Family."

Many people visit Key West. Large cruise ships stop at the island.

You can also fly to the island on a plane. Duval Street is the main street. It runs from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean.

Key West has a busy history. In the 1800s, people made salt from the sea. They also made cigars. A big fire in 1886 destroyed many cigar factories. Later, the city became a famous place for many. Even President Harry S. Truman had a winter home here.

Key West is a famous island at the southern end of Florida.

It sits in the Straits of Florida, which is a deep water path. This path lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The island is located north of Cuba.

It is the southernmost city in the contiguous United States. Key West is also the westernmost island you can reach by highway in the Florida Keys. The city includes parts of several other islands like Fleming Key and Sunset Key.

Many different ways help people reach this island today. Large passenger cruise ships visit the island as a port of call.

You can also fly to the Key West International Airport. For those on the road, U.S. Route 1 ends here. This is the longest north-south road in the country. The main street is Duval Street. It is 14 blocks long. It stretches all the way from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean.

The island has a very long and interesting history. Long ago, people called the Calusa and Tequesta lived here. The Spanish name for the island is Cayo Hueso. This name means "bone cay." People say the island was once a place for burials. In 1822, a man named John Simonton bought the island. He was a businessman from Alabama. He helped make the island a known place. He even lobbied to have a naval base built there.

Key West has been a center for many different jobs. In the 1830s, it was the richest city in the United States per person. People made salt by using the receding tides in pools.

They also caught sea turtles and made cigars.

Many Cubans moved there to work in cigar factories. Sadly, a huge fire in 1886 destroyed 18 of these factories. Later, the city became a place for important leaders. President Harry S. Truman even had a winter home here.

Today, Key West is a place where many different things happen. It is a very important site for naval aviation training. The tropical weather makes it a good spot for pilots.

The city has a population of 26,444 people. Its official motto is "One Human Family." This shows the warm spirit of the people living there. You can see this spirit in the local schools and churches.

Key West is a significant island located in the Straits of Florida. It sits at the southern end of the state of Florida in the United States.

The island is part of the Florida Keys. The city of Key West includes the main island and parts of several others. These include Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island. Key West is the southernmost city in the contiguous United States. It is also the westernmost island connected to the mainland by a highway. The city serves as the county seat for Monroe County.

Geography places Key West in a strategic maritime location. It sits in the deep shipping lanes of the Straits of Florida. This area lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The island is located north of Cuba. It is specifically north-northeast of Havana.

Because of this location, the island has a tropical climate. This weather makes it an important site for year-round naval aviation training. The Key West International Airport provides air service to the island. Passenger cruise ships also use the island as a port of call.

The island's name and early history are deeply connected to its environment. The original Spanish name is Cayo Hueso. This translates to "bone cay." A cay is a low island or a reef. It is said the island was once a communal graveyard for native inhabitants. Before the 19th century, people related to the Calusa and Tequesta lived in the area. The last Native American residents were Calusa refugees. They were taken to Cuba in 1763 when Great Britain took control of Florida from Spain.

Ownership of the island changed hands through several legal and military processes. In 1815, the Spanish governor of Cuba deeded the island to Juan Pablo Salas. After the United States took possession of Florida in 1821, Salas sold the island. He first sold it to General John Geddes for a sloop valued at $575. He then sold it to John W. Simonton for the equivalent of $2,000 in 1821 pesos. On March 25, 1822, Lt. Commander Matthew C. Perry arrived by schooner. He planted the U.S. flag to claim the Keys for the United States. Perry renamed the island Thompson's Island to honor Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson.

Modern Key West was shaped by several founding figures and early industries. John Simonton was a major developer who subdivided the island into plots. He lobbied to establish a naval base to bring law and order. Four men are known as the "founding fathers" of modern Key West. Their names were used to name the main arteries of the island in 1829. These included John Whitehead, John Fleeming, Pardon C. Greene, and John Mountain.

In the 1830s, Key West became the richest city per capita in the United States. Major industries included fishing, turtling, and salt manufacturing. People harvested salt from receding tidal pools rather than using mines.

Economic shifts and natural disasters significantly altered the island's development. The salt industry was destroyed by an 1876 hurricane and new mainland mines. During the 1860s and 1870s, many Cubans sought refuge in the city. This led to a large cigar-making industry. However, the Great Fire of Key West on April 1, 1886, caused a major decline. The fire destroyed 18 cigar factories and 614 houses. Many factory owners moved to Tampa instead of rebuilding.

Despite these challenges, the city remained a major center. During the American Civil War, the naval base helped Key West remain in Union hands. This period also saw a large free black population grow in the area.

Key West remains a unique cultural and political landmark today. It is the southern terminus of U.S. Route 1. This is the longest north-south road in the United States. The city's main street is Duval Street, which is 14 blocks long. It connects the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. The city's official motto is "One Human Family." The population was 26,444 at the 2020 census. The island also hosts important historical sites. President Harry S. Truman used the island as his Winter White House.

The Basilica School of Saint Mary Star of the Sea continues a long history of education.