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Florida County
Monroe County, Florida
Key West and the Overseas Highway - from the southernmost point in the continental United States and Ernest Hemingway's Key West home to the Seven Mile Bridge's engineering marvel over open ocean, the Florida Reef (the only living coral reef in the continental US) stretching 170 miles, and the Overseas Highway's 42 bridges connecting a chain of tropical islands that has no parallel anywhere else in America.
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Office: Monroe County Emergency Management – (305) 289-6325 | monroecounty-fl.gov/emergency
Alert System: Monroe County Alert; Florida FDEM; CodeRED; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: All Keys residents MUST evacuate for major hurricanes; mainland shelters in Miami-Dade and Broward; Monroe County Emergency Management; ONE evacuation route (US-1 – Florida Keys Overseas Highway)
FEMA Region: Region 4
Notes: Florida Keys county – the only county in the continental US consisting entirely of islands and keys; Key West is county seat and southernmost point of the continental US; EXTREME hurricane risk (the Keys are the most vulnerable county to hurricanes in the US; Irma 2017 was catastrophic – made landfall at Category 4 in Cudjoe Key and destroyed or severely damaged 25% of the housing in the Keys; the Upper Keys suffered devastating storm surge; thousands of residents were without homes; the Middle Keys (Marathon) and Lower Keys were especially hard hit; Andrew 1992 and Labor Day Hurricane 1935 (the most intense hurricane ever to strike the US – the Labor Day Hurricane killed 400+ people in the Keys and washed away the Flagler railroad that connected them to the mainland; the Florida Keys Hurricane of 1935 is one of the defining disasters in Florida history)); storm surge flooding (the Keys’ average elevation of 5 feet above sea level makes the entire county acutely vulnerable to any storm surge); sea level rise (the Keys are disappearing – current sea level rise threatens the long-term habitability of the islands; some models project significant portions of the Keys under water by 2100 or sooner); the ONE evacuation route (US-1 northward) is a defining emergency management constraint
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Monroe County Public Works – (305) 289-6010
Transit: Key West Transit; Florida Keys Commuter limited bus; primarily auto-dependent for the Keys
Airport: Key West International Airport (EYW – American, Delta, United service; smaller commercial airport; limited capacity); Marathon Airport (MTH – commercial charter); Miami International for major travel (110 miles north)
Notes: US-1 (the Overseas Highway – the only road connecting the Florida Keys to the mainland; 113 miles from Florida City to Key West with 42 bridges; the Seven Mile Bridge (1982) is the most famous and the stunning Middle Keys connection; the old Henry Flagler bridges (1912 railroad converted to highway in 1938) run parallel to some newer bridges and are used for fishing and walking; the Overseas Highway is one of the most scenic drives in the US – island-hopping through turquoise water for 113 miles; but it is also the ONLY evacuation route, making hurricane evacuation of 78,000 permanent residents (and hundreds of thousands of tourists) extremely challenging); the original Flagler Overseas Railroad was washed away in the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935; the current Overseas Highway follows approximately the same route
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Monroe County Planning and Environmental Resources – (305) 453-8800 | monroecounty-fl.gov
Services: County permits; Key West (separate – very active historic preservation and resort development), Marathon, Key Colony Beach, Islamorada (Village of Islands – separate), Layton (small), and extensive unincorporated Keys areas separate
Notes: Monroe County has some of the most stringent building regulations in Florida – the Rate of Growth Ordinance (ROGO) strictly limits the number of new building permits issued annually to allow for orderly hurricane evacuation capacity; ROGO has been a model for coastal growth management; post-Irma rebuilding was enormous but subject to strict floodplain and elevation requirements; Key West’s historic district (National Historic Landmark) requires careful preservation standards; the Islamorada area has active vacation property development; affordable housing in the Keys is a severe crisis – workforce housing for Keys service workers is essentially nonexistent at reasonable prices
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Monroe County Veterans Services – (305) 292-4540
VA Medical: Miami VA Medical Center (about 110 miles north via US-1 and Florida Turnpike; (305) 575-7000); Key West VA CBOC – (305) 294-7910 (important local outpatient access for this geographically isolated county)
Military: Naval Air Station Key West (Boca Chica – one of the Navy’s finest air combat training facilities; the warm water and weather make it ideal for aviation training; the Blue Angels occasionally train here; an important military presence for Monroe County)
Services: Benefits claims; Key West CBOC provides important local access; Key West’s military history is significant; NAS Key West creates active-duty and veteran community
Notes: Monroe County’s extreme remoteness from VA facilities makes the Key West CBOC critical; Miami VAMC is 110 miles via the Overseas Highway; NAS Key West’s aviation training community creates a significant military presence; telehealth is increasingly important for routine VA care in the Keys
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Monroe County Public Library System – (305) 292-3595 | keyslibraries.org; 4 branches
Services: Books, e-books, public computers, Wi-Fi, genealogy (Florida Keys and Key West heritage; Keys maritime history; Hemingway connections; Flagler railroad heritage), children’s programs; Caribbean and Latin American heritage; coral reef collections
Notable: Key West Heritage Collection – the Florida Keys History and Discovery Center; the Monroe County library has extraordinary collections on Hemingway (who lived and wrote in Key West 1931-1940; A Farewell to Arms and For Whom the Bell Tolls were among the works he wrote or developed here), on the Flagler East Coast Railway extension to Key West (completed 1912 – “Flagler’s Folly” became one of engineering’s greatest achievements before being destroyed in 1935), and on the Cuban-American heritage of the Keys
Notes: The Key West library’s Hemingway collections are significant; the Florida Keys History and Discovery Center documents the extraordinary cultural and natural heritage of the Keys; the Flagler Railroad heritage (the “overseas railroad” that connected Key West to the mainland for 23 years before being destroyed) is one of the great engineering stories of the 20th century
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Federal: Everglades National Park (northernmost Monroe County – the western Keys and portions of the mainland coast); Biscayne National Park (northern Monroe County border – accessible); Dry Tortugas National Park (70 miles west of Key West, accessible only by seaplane or ferry; Fort Jefferson – the largest masonry structure in the Americas; an enormous star-shaped Civil War fort built on a coral reef that was used as a prison (Dr. Samuel Mudd – the physician who set John Wilkes Booth’s leg after the Lincoln assassination – was imprisoned here); the snorkeling around Fort Jefferson is extraordinary – clear warm water on a coral reef with sea turtles, tropical fish, and the fort’s massive walls rising from the sea; loggerhead sea turtle nesting; frigate birds nesting; the experience of approaching Fort Jefferson by seaplane or slow ferry across open ocean is extraordinary); Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (the largest marine sanctuary in the continental US; protecting the coral reef, seagrass beds, and mangroves of the Keys; diving and snorkeling programs)
State Parks: Bahia Honda State Park (Big Pine Key area – one of Florida’s finest beach state parks; the old Flagler Bridge (the abandoned railroad bridge) provides one of the best ocean views in the Keys; excellent snorkeling at Sandspur Beach); John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (Key Largo – the first US underwater state park; the Christ of the Deep statue (submerged bronze statue of Christ; one of the most famous dive sites in the US; excellent coral reef snorkeling and diving))
Regional: Key West (one of the world’s most distinctive and character-filled small cities; Duval Street (the 1.1 mile main entertainment strip – bars, restaurants, art galleries, clothing optional establishments; the Southern-most Bahamian vernacular architecture; “Fantasy Fest” (October – 10 days of increasingly elaborate and outrageous costuming and body painting; the world’s largest Keys event)); Mallory Square Sunset (the nightly gathering at Mallory Square Dock to watch the Key West sunset has been a ritual since the 1960s; street performers, tourists, locals, and the extraordinary Gulf of Mexico light make it one of Florida’s finest experiences); The Hemingway Home and Museum (Whitehead Street – the Spanish Colonial house where Hemingway lived 1931-1940; descendants of his famous 6-toed cats still live on the property; guided tours); the Harry S. Truman Little White House (the Presidential retreat where Truman spent 175 days of his presidency; beautifully preserved; excellent historical museum; open for tours); Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park (Key West – Civil War era fort; excellent beach on the Gulf side – the best beach in Key West; the fort remained under Union control throughout the Civil War and was critical to the naval blockade of Confederate ports); Bahama Village (Key West – the historic Bahamian-American community; the heart of Key West’s Afro-Caribbean heritage); Green Parrot Bar (1890 – one of the oldest bars in Key West; a genuine landmark institution); the Southernmost Point Buoy (the concrete buoy marking the southernmost point of the continental US is one of the most photographed tourist photos in Florida; the line is often 30+ minutes long)
Notes: Monroe County is arguably the most distinctive county in the continental US – there is genuinely no other place like the Florida Keys; the combination of the island chain character (hop from island to island on a single highway over the azure water), Key West’s extraordinary history and culture (Hemingway, Truman, the Conchs, Duval Street, the sunset ritual), the underwater world of the Florida Reef Tract, and the existential challenge of sea level rise creates a genuinely unique American place; Dry Tortugas is one of the most remote and extraordinary NPS units in the continental US – approaching the massive Fort Jefferson by seaplane low over the Gulf, seeing the green moat and red brick walls rising from the turquoise water, and then snorkeling on the surrounding reef is as close to a tropical island paradise as the mainland US offers; John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (the US’s first underwater state park) introduced millions of Americans to coral reef snorkeling and diving beginning in 1963; Key West’s LGBT+ community has created one of the US’s most welcoming communities – the city has been a refuge for the community since the 1960s-70s and Fantasy Fest reflects this history of radical acceptance; the Conch Republic (Key West’s 1982 mock “secession” from the US to protest Border Patrol checkpoints – Key West declared itself an independent republic, surrendered, and demanded US foreign aid; the stunt worked and the checkpoints were removed; the “Conch Republic” identity has been embraced enthusiastically since) is one of American civic history’s more creative protests
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Monroe County GIS – monroecounty-fl.gov/gis; Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary maps; coral reef monitoring GIS; Dry Tortugas maps; sea level rise vulnerability maps; US-1 Overseas Highway bridge condition maps; hurricane evacuation route and timing maps
Notes: Monroe County GIS is sophisticated given the existential importance of accurate mapping for hurricane evacuation planning; the US-1 Overseas Highway bridge condition monitoring is critical – any bridge closure eliminates the single evacuation route; coral reef monitoring maps (condition of individual reef zones); sea level rise inundation scenarios for all Keys islands; Dry Tortugas navigation charts
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Florida Keys SPCA (Key West and Marathon – (305) 743-4800 | keysspca.org)
Services: Stray intake, adoptions; wildlife management (Key deer – the endangered Key Deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium) is the smallest subspecies of white-tailed deer in North America; found only in the Lower Florida Keys (primarily Big Pine Key and No Name Key); approximately 700-1,000 animals; a federal refuge (National Key Deer Refuge) protects critical habitat; the deer are beloved local icons but vehicle strikes are a primary mortality cause; speed limits on Big Pine Key (35 mph) are strictly enforced to protect the deer; manatees in the nearshore waters; sea turtles – all three Atlantic species nest or forage in the Keys; American crocodile (present in the southern Keys; the Keys are one of two areas where crocodiles and alligators overlap); green iguana (invasive; abundant throughout the Keys; control programs ongoing; they are everywhere); Florida Keys marsh rabbit (endangered; found only in the Lower Keys; tiny endangered rabbit))
Notes: Key Deer are one of the most charismatic endangered species in Florida – the tiny deer (about the size of a large dog) calmly crossing US-1 on Big Pine Key is one of the Keys’ signature wildlife experiences; the National Key Deer Refuge protects critical habitat; the American crocodile in the Lower Keys (representing the northern range of the species) is a remarkable wildlife presence; the Florida Keys marsh rabbit (an isolated endangered subspecies found only in the Lower Keys) is among Florida’s most critically endangered mammals; iguana management in the Keys has been challenging – the population has exploded and the islands’ limited size means the density is remarkable
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Monroe County Solid Waste Management – (305) 292-4432; the challenge of waste management on an island chain (no room for a landfill; everything must be transported off the Keys) is unique; the county operates transfer stations and transports waste to mainland facilities; recycling is actively promoted
Environmental: Florida DEP; Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (NOAA – manages the marine environment of the Keys from Key Largo to the Dry Tortugas; the most significant federal environmental management presence in Monroe County; the Sanctuary’s regulations govern anchoring, discharge, and development in the marine environment); Biscayne Bay and Everglades National Park (adjacent); US Fish and Wildlife Service (National Key Deer Refuge; Crocodile Lake NWR in the Upper Keys); Army Corps of Engineers (canal management; hurricane protection); the Nature Conservancy (significant land holdings in the Keys)
Key Issues: Sea level rise and existential threat to the Keys (the Florida Keys exist at average elevation of 5-6 feet above sea level; current sea level rise models project 1-4 feet of rise by 2100 in South Florida; under higher emissions scenarios, large portions of the Keys could be periodically or permanently inundated; the county’s long-term Comprehensive Plan includes “managed retreat” language – acknowledging that some development may not be rebuilt in low-lying areas; the Keys’ porous limestone geology (the same karst that creates the springs in central Florida) means that even raising land would not prevent groundwater intrusion); coral reef crisis (the Florida Reef Tract offshore the Keys is the backbone of the Keys economy – dive tourism, snorkeling, recreational fishing, and the commercial seafood industry all depend on healthy reefs; the 2023 bleaching event (water temperatures 4-5°F above normal for months) caused catastrophic bleaching on 90%+ of the reef; many coral colonies died; NOAA’s coral rescue program (removing coral fragments to refrigerated tanks during bleaching events, maintaining them, and replanting after the heat event) is being conducted at unprecedented scale; the reef’s long-term survival under continued climate warming is the existential environmental question for Monroe County); wastewater management (one of the most complex environmental challenges in the Keys; the porous limestone geology means that septic system effluent percolates directly to the nearshore marine environment (which is the Keys’ ecological foundation); Monroe County has invested billions in converting from septic to centralized sewage systems – a massive infrastructure project that is largely complete but required decades of effort and enormous funding; the Key West wastewater treatment is complete; the Keys’ water quality has improved significantly as a result); freshwater (all potable water in the Keys is piped from the mainland via a single water main that runs the length of the Overseas Highway; this water main is the Keys’ most critical infrastructure – damage to the main cuts off the water supply for 78,000 permanent residents and hundreds of thousands of tourists; emergency water supplies (reverse osmosis facilities) exist but provide limited capacity; the single-point-of-failure nature of the Keys’ water supply is a significant vulnerability)
Notes: Monroe County’s environmental situation is simultaneously extraordinary and precarious – the Florida Keys contain one of the most diverse and beautiful marine ecosystems in the western hemisphere (the coral reef, the seagrass beds, the mangroves, the nearshore fish communities) and simultaneously face the most acute existential environmental threat of any US county from sea level rise; the reef’s bleaching crisis is not a future threat – it is happening now; the 2023 bleaching event was so severe that NOAA declared it a coral reef emergency; water temperatures in the Florida Straits were measured at temperatures that would kill coral, and they stayed there for months; the “coral rescue” operations (snorkeling to break off coral fragments before bleaching kills them, placing them in refrigerated tanks, keeping them alive, and eventually replanting them on the reef) represent the most intensive coral conservation effort in US history; the existential question – whether the Florida Reef Tract can survive in a world 2°C warmer – is the central environmental question for Monroe County and for Florida; the Keys without their reef would be islands in warm, clear, but ecologically impoverished water; the reef is the foundation of everything that makes the Keys extraordinary
About Monroe County
Monroe County is America’s southernmost county – the Florida Keys archipelago extending 120 miles into the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean, connected by the Overseas Highway (US-1) across 42 bridges spanning open water.
Key West (the county seat, population ~25,000) is one of America’s most distinctive small cities – a 2-mile by 4-mile island with a culture shaped by pirates, Cuban cigar rollers, sponge divers, and the writers and artists who followed. Ernest Hemingway lived here from 1931-1939 and wrote some of his most significant works; his home and studio on Whitehead Street is one of the most visited literary landmarks in America. The Southernmost Point buoy marks 90 miles to Cuba.
The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protects 2,900 square miles of ocean including the Florida Reef – the third-largest barrier reef in the world and the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States. The reef’s extraordinary marine biodiversity draws divers and snorkelers from around the world.
Islamorada – the “Village of Islands” – is considered the sport fishing capital of the world, with world-record catches of bonefish, tarpon, and permit in its backcountry flats.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
The Monroe County Property Appraiser at 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, phone 305-292-3420, assesses at just value. Monroe County property values are among the highest in Florida – assessment review is frequently worthwhile. No FL estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Monroe County Clerk of Court at 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, phone 305-292-3424, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF COURTS (Records, Marriage Licenses)
500 Whitehead St., Key West, FL 33040
(305) 292-3423
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Monroe County Clerk of Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Key West Library (Monroe County May Hill Russell Library), Key West, FL – the southernmost branch of the Monroe County Public Library System and one of the oldest libraries in Florida, tracing back to the Key West Library Association founded in 1892.
Local societies
Monroe County Genealogical Society, 21 Ventana Lane, Big Coppitt Key, FL 33040.
Key West Art and Historical Society, 3501 S. Roosevelt Blvd., Key West, FL 33040, (305) 296-3913.
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Monroe County Clerk of Court, Probate and Guardianship Division 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040 (305) 294-4641 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Monroe County sits in Florida’s 16th Judicial Circuit. Monroe is Florida’s southernmost county, encompassing the Florida Keys – its total area is nearly 74% water.
IMPORTANT – a major statewide law change just took effect: Florida’s summary administration threshold DOUBLED from $75,000 to $150,000 effective July 1, 2026, under CS/HB 1337 (Chapter 2026-57, Laws of Florida). Confirm which threshold applies based on date of death when helping someone (see
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
5525 College Rd., Key West, FL 33040
(305) 292-7000
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
530 Whitehead St., Suite 101, Key West, FL 33040
(305) 292-3416
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Florida DOH in Monroe County – (305) 852-7100 | monroe.floridahealth.gov
Services: Comprehensive health department for an extremely remote island county; immunizations; WIC; STI testing; behavioral health; environmental health; marine animal injury response coordination; coral reef environmental health
Hospital: Lower Florida Keys Health System (Key West – Baptist Health; (305) 294-5531); Mariners Hospital (Tavernier, Upper Keys – Baptist Health); Fishermen’s Community Hospital (Marathon – closed; Marathon community hospital has faced challenges); Miami hospitals for all specialty and major trauma (helicopter transport for critical cases – 110 miles)
Notes: Healthcare access in the Florida Keys is one of the most challenging in the continental US – the geographic isolation (110 miles on a single highway), the small permanent population scattered over dozens of islands, and the distance from tertiary care create extreme access challenges; helicopter transport to Miami hospitals is routine for serious cases; behavioral health is significant; the Keys’ unique culture (the legendary laid-back Key West lifestyle; the alcohol and drug culture associated with tourism) creates specific behavioral health patterns; post-Irma mental health trauma was massive; the Keys’ population (including the large Cuban, Honduran, and other Caribbean immigrant community, as well as the LGBT+ community – Key West is one of the most LGBT+ friendly communities in the US) requires diverse health services
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Key West
Population: 74,000
Area: 997 sq mi (land); 3,737 sq mi total
Established: 1823
Tier: 2
Public Records
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