MM 106 · Key Largo Overseas Highway MM 0 · Key West

MM 106 → MM 0

Which Key is which

The Keys are not one destination. There are five distinct stretches along the Overseas Highway, and picking the wrong one is the most common mistake first-time visitors make. Here's the honest difference between them.

People say "we're going to the Keys" the way they'd say "we're going to Hawaii" — but 113 miles separates the first island from the last, and the dive town at the top has almost nothing in common with the party island at the bottom. Read this before you book.

MM 106–90 · ~1 hr from Miami

Key Largo

Come for: diving and snorkeling. America's first underwater park, the Christ of the Abyss statue, and the Spiegel Grove wreck. Closest to the mainland, most affordable, least polished.

MM 90–72 · ~1.5 hrs from Miami

Islamorada

Come for: fishing and good food. The Sportfishing Capital of the World, plus the 1935 hurricane memorial and boat-only historic islands. Upscale, and priced accordingly.

MM 63–47 · ~2 hrs from Miami

Marathon

Come for: families and the Old Seven Mile Bridge. The Turtle Hospital, Sombrero Beach, Pigeon Key. A real working town and the best value in the chain.

MM 47–9 · ~2.5 hrs from Miami

Big Pine & the Lower Keys

Come for: nature and quiet. Tiny Key deer, Bahia Honda's beach beneath the ruined rail bridge, and Looe Key reef. Almost no nightlife, which is the point.

MM 4–0 · ~3.5 hrs from Miami

Key West

Come for: history, architecture, and the end of the road. Old Town, Hemingway, Mallory Square, Fort Zachary Taylor, and the Dry Tortugas beyond.

Trip tools

The mile marker guide

How the address system works, what's at every marker, and what nobody tells you about driving the Overseas Highway.

Choosing quickly

  • Long weekend from Miami, want reef time: Key Largo.
  • Serious about fishing: Islamorada, and book the guide before the hotel.
  • Traveling with kids: Marathon.
  • Want a beach: Bahia Honda in the Lower Keys — real sand is rare down here.
  • First trip and you want the icons: Key West, but drive down rather than flying, and stop along the way.
  • Been before and want the Keys you remember: the Lower Keys.

One piece of advice from everyone who lives here: stay somewhere in the middle for part of the trip. The chain rewards moving through it slowly, and the drive itself is the best thing about the Florida Keys.

Common questions

Which Florida Key should I stay on?

Key Largo, at MM 106 to 90, suits divers and short trips from Miami. Islamorada, MM 90 to 72, suits serious fishing and better dining. Marathon, MM 63 to 47, is the best value and the most family-friendly and sits at the midpoint of the chain. Big Pine and the Lower Keys, MM 47 to 9, suit nature and quiet and hold the best beach at Bahia Honda. Key West, MM 4 to 0, suits history, architecture, and nightlife.

How far is Key West from Miami?

Key West is about 165 miles from Miami, roughly 3.5 to 4 hours of driving via the Overseas Highway across 42 bridges. Along the way, Key Largo is about an hour from Miami, Islamorada about 1.5 hours, and Marathon about 2 hours.

Do the Florida Keys have real beaches?

Fewer than most visitors expect. The Florida Keys are coral islands fronted by a barrier reef rather than surf, so natural sand beaches are rare across the 113-mile chain. Bahia Honda State Park at MM 37 has the best natural sand beach in the Keys. Sombrero Beach in Marathon at MM 50 and Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West are the other leading public beaches, both free or low-cost.

· Published by The-Florida-Keys.com