Key Largo

Key Largo (Spanish: Cayo Largo) is an island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago and is the largest section of the keys, at 33 miles (53 km) long. It is one of the northernmost of the Florida Keys in Monroe County and the northernmost of the keys connected by U.S. Highway 1 (the Overseas Highway). Three census-designated places (CDPs) are on the island of Key Largo: North Key Largo (near the Card Sound Bridge), Key Largo (roughly 8–9 miles (13–14 km) from the island's southernmost point), and Tavernier (at the island's south end). As of 2020, these three CDPs have a combined population of 16,408. None of Key Largo is an incorporated municipality; it is governed, at the local level, by Monroe County. Key Largo is connected to the mainland of Miami-Dade County by two routes, the Overseas Highway (the southernmost portion of U.S. Highway 1, which enters Key Largo at Jewfish Creek near the middle of the island before turning southwest) and Card Sound Road, which connects to the northern end of Key Largo and runs southeastward, connecting with County Road 905, which runs southwest and joins U.S. 1 around mile marker 106. These routes originate at Florida City on the mainland. Key Largo, a popular destination for many, has been dubbed the "Diving Capital of the World", as the living coral reefs, a few miles offshore, attract thousands of scuba divers, sport-fishing enthusiasts, and scientific researchers each year. Key Largo's proximity to the Everglades also makes it an ideal starting point for scientists, kayakers, and ecotourists, among others. Automotive and highway pioneer (and Miami Beach developer) Carl G. Fisher built the Caribbean Club in 1938 as his last project. Key Largo is situated between Everglades National Park to the northwest and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first underwater park in the United States, to the east. The latter state park protects part of the Florida Reef, the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States. Barrier reefs are critical to coastal communities and environments, as they are able to dissipate up to 97% of the oceanic wave forces exerted during hurricanes and other tropical storms, with the reef serving as a protective buffer against flooding further inland. The barrier reef itself provides over $675 million in storm surge protection annually.

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