Monroe County BOCC

About Monroe County Monroe County is the southernmost county in Florida and the United States. It is made up of the Florida Keys and portions of the Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve. These parks are mostly uninhabited mainland areas. Most known are the Florida Keys with its string of islands connected by U.S. Highway 1, which ends in Key West, 150 miles southwest of Miami. In total area, Monroe County is comprised of 3,737 square miles1, mostly of water (73%). The Florida Keys are an elongated, curved bow like chain of low lying islands over 220 miles in length. They extend from the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula to the Dry Tortugas and lie between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. The Keys are islands of rock and sandy beaches are not common. Just miles offshore on the Atlantic side of the Keys is the only living coral reef in the continental United States. No point, in the Keys, is more than four miles from water. Monroe County only has one highway, US highway 1, terminating in the county seat, Key West, our largest city. Other incorporated areas include Marathon, Islamorada, Key Colony Beach and Layton. Other county government offices are located in Marathon and Key Largo to handle basic public government functions. Monthly commission meetings are rotated between Key West, Marathon and Key Largo. http://www.monroecounty-fl.gov http://www.fla-keys.com