Key West is an island at the end of the chain of the Florida Keys. It is connected to the mainland by US Highway 1 which uses a series of bridges to link the islands of the chain. This is a popular vacation destination which gives visitors the feeling of the Caribbean without having to leave the country.
1. 42 bridges connect Key West to the mainland of Florida.
2. The third largest coral reef in the world is off the coast of Key West. The reef is 160 miles long.
3. All of the sand on the beaches of Key West were shipped in on barges from the Caribbean.
4. Key West is the southernmost city in the United States. The city is closer to Cuba than it is to Miami.
5. Even though Cuba is only 90 miles away, you still can never see it from Key West.
6. The whole island is a bird sanctuary since there are many endangered species there.
7. Happy hour beings at 9AM at the Schooner Warf Bar.
8. Three Civil War forts are located on Key West.
9. Even though Key West is the southernmost point in the United States, it was Yankee territory during the Civil War.
10. There is no cell phone service on the island.
11. Operation Petticoat, The Rose Tattoo, Reap the Wild Wind, PT 109, Beneath the 12 Mile Reef, License to Kill, and Running Scared are all movies that were filmed on Key West.
12. The nearest Wal-Mart is 126 miles away.
13. People born in Key West are called Conchs.
14. Key West has not been directly hit by a hurricane since 1919.
15. The temperature in Key West has never dropped below 41 degrees Fahrenheit.
16. There are about 25,000 people that live in Key West.
17. Key West is the only city in the continental United States that never gets frost.
18. The highway that ends in Key West, U.S Highway One, is 2,209 miles long and runs from Fort Kent in Maine.
19. Key West has more bars per capita than any other place in the country.
20. Back in 1889, Key West was the biggest city in Florida.
21. Key West has more churches per capita than any other place in the country.
22. Key West has the most inhabitants of any of the keys. Of the 800 keys, only 30 are inhabited by people.
23. The first international flight left from Key West. In 1927, the Pan American airlines flew a plane from Key West to Havana Cuba.
24. The highest elevation in Key West is 18 feet above sea level.
25. Most of the 40 cats living at the Hemingway House have six or seven toes because they are all descendents from Hemingway’s cat.
Hopefully these fun facts will get you excited about taking a trip to visit Key West!
