Drives Florida
Overseas Highway
US-1, Key Largo to Key West · Florida Keys
US-1 island-hopping across the Florida Keys from Key Largo to Mile 0 in Key West, on 42 bridges built over the remains of Henry Flagler's railroad. The longest, the Seven Mile Bridge, puts you out over open water for nearly seven miles.
- Distance
- 107 mi
- Drive time
- 2 hr 35 min
- Climbing
- 0 ft
- Highest point
- ≈ 0 ft
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The drive
The highway opened in 1938 on the foundations of Flagler's railroad to Key West. Small green mile-marker signs count down from 127 near Florida City to 0 in Key West, and places along the way are known by them.
Between the islands, the road runs low over the water with open sea on both sides. Halfway, past Marathon, the Seven Mile Bridge carries it 6.8 miles across open water, beside the old railroad bridge it replaced in 1982.
Stops along the way
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park At mile marker 102 on Key Largo.
- Seven Mile Bridge and Pigeon Key The 6.8-mile bridge opened in 1982. Beside it, 2.2 miles of the Old Seven Mile Bridge are open to walkers and cyclists as far as Pigeon Key.
- Bahia Honda State Park Just off US-1: a beach park where part of the old railroad bridge still stands.
- Mile 0 and the Southernmost Point The end of US-1 in Key West, and the buoy a few blocks away.
When to go
The highway is open all year, with no tolls. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and a storm can mean evacuation orders. Whatever the month, go early on a weekday: US-1 is the only road through the Keys, and weekend and holiday traffic builds.
Good to know
- Coming from the mainland, stay on US-1's 18-Mile Stretch to Key Largo; the alternative, Card Sound Road, has a cashless toll.
- FDOT has scheduled overnight single-lane closures on the Seven Mile Bridge during its rehabilitation; driving it by day avoids them.
- Mile markers are small green signs at the roadside, and most directions in the Keys use them.
More drives
- Big Sur, Highway 1 CA-1, Carmel to San Simeon · 89 mi · Sweeping
- Blue Ridge Parkway Mileposts 384 to 451, Asheville to Waterrock Knob · 68 mi · Twisty
- Tail of the Dragon US-129 at Deals Gap · 11.3 mi · Intense
Free to plan and drive with a signal. Carve Apex downloads the whole route for driving with none.
Sources: Visit Florida Keys, Wikipedia: Overseas Highway, Wikipedia: Seven Mile Bridge, FDOT: Seven Mile Bridge. Distance, time, elevation and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-06.