Torch Keys

History of Monroe County

History of Monroe County

Discovered by Ponce De Leon in 1513, the Florida Keys proper are an elongated 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 separated from the mainland by Biscayne Bay, Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound and Florida Bay. Monroe County is made of of 822 islands, although only about 30 of them are actually inhabited. The western half or Everglades National Park and the southern tip of Big Cypress National Preserve are largely uninhabited. The highest point in the Keys, only 18 feet above sea level, lies on Windley Key. The Keys are islands of rock; therefore sandy beaches are not common and are mostly restricted to the Atlantic side of the larger islands.

Geographically and physiographically, the Florida Keys are built on top of the submerged foothills of the very old Appalachian Mountains. A two-mile thick layer of limestone lies on top of these foothills, covered in the upper keys by the skeleton of an ancient coral reef, and in the lower keys by a naturally cemented limestone rock called Miami Oolite. NO point in the Keys is more than four miles from water.

These islands are defined by the environmental benefits of diving, fishing, boating, unique wildlife, flora and fauna, and the only living coral reef in the continental United States. Monroe County has colorful politics, a varied cultural life, and unexcelled beauty.

Unlike most counties, there is no single county seat easily accessible to all; every service, every county function, must be accomplished in triplicate. Even with three hospital sites, there is a 45 mile ambulance run between them.

A county of islands, Monroe County is connected by an overseas highway that was built by the state utilizing 42 defunct railroad bridges between Key Largo and Key West. The original bridges have been replaced; in many cases the old bridges still run parallel to the new and some are utilized as fishing bridges. This highway contains 19.3 miles of bridge spans.

The population of the county has grown from 5,657 in 1870 to 81,766 in 1993. Currently, about 30% of the residents live in the city of Key West. The 1992 per capita income was $22,056. Monroe County has the highest cost of living of any county in the state of Florida.

The millions of tourists that visit the county each year provide the major source of employment for local residents. Retail services, commercial fishing and government employment are the other industries. In 1992, the labor force was 44,447. The unemployment rate in 1995 was 3.4%. The median housing cost for Monroe County is $151,200 with the average household size at 2.30.