Big Pine Key, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Big Pine Key, Florida
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Location in Monroe County and the state of Florida
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U.S. Census Bureau map showing CDP boundaries
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| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| County | Monroe |
| Area | |
| • Total | 10.31 sq mi (26.70 km2) |
| • Land | 10.20 sq mi (26.43 km2) |
| • Water | 0.11 sq mi (0.28 km2) |
| Elevation | 3 ft (1 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4,521 |
| • Density | 443.06/sq mi (171.07/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
33043
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| Area code(s) | 305 |
| FIPS code | 12-06425 |
Big Pine Key is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Monroe County, Florida, United States, on an island of the same name in the Florida Keys. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 5,032.
Contents
Geography
U.S. 1 (or the Overseas Highway) crosses the key at mile markers 29.5—33, one of the few places on the Keys where the road orients north-south (along the eastern edge of the Key).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 25.8 km² (9.9 mi²), of which 25.3 km² (9.8 mi²) is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) (1.81%) is water.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 4,521 | — | |
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2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 3,612 | 79.89% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 49 | 1.08% |
| Native American | 9 | 0.2% |
| Asian | 46 | 1.02% |
| Pacific Islander | 2 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 182 | 4.03% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 621 | 13.74% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,521 people, 2,065 households, and 1,180 families residing in the CDP.
The Blue Hole
The Blue Hole is an abandoned rock quarry that was used for nearby road fills and Henry Flagler's Overseas Railroad. The water it contains is mostly fresh and is used by various wildlife in the area, such as birds, snakes, alligators and feral Green iguanas. It is part of the National Key Deer Refuge.
Key Deer
The island of Big Pine Key is home to the National Key Deer Refuge, this island is where the majority of the Key Deer population can be found.
As Key deer are endangered, many precautions have been taken to preserve as much Key Deer habitat as possible:
- Signs are prominently placed along U.S. 1 (the Overseas Highway) to inform drivers that they are entering Key deer habitat, and warning them that feeding Key deer is prohibited
- Approximately two miles of US 1 on the eastern end of Big Pine Key are elevated and fenced off to allow Key deer to pass under the road
- The stretch of US 1 in Big Pine Key has a night-time speed limit of 35 miles per hour (as Key deer are most active at night) and the speed limits (45 MPH in the day) are "strictly enforced" according to signage
Photo gallery
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Key Deer (Buck) bowing head over driveway
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Feral Roosters at Winn-Dixie Shopping Plaza
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No Name Pub is a popular spot for beer and conversation. Note $1 US currency signed by the many visitors to the pub.
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The main intersection on the island, where Key Deer Boulevard and Wilder Road fork off of US 1
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View of west side of the island from the Overseas Highway
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One of the many Green iguanas that can be seen near the Blue Hole area
In fiction
Big Pine Key is featured prominently in the 1966 spy novel Danger Key.
The protagonist of Carl Hiaasen's Bad Monkey lives on Big Pine Key.
The No Name Pub (with a fictionalized set of regulars) is featured in the novel Torpedo Juice by Tim Dorsey.
Big Pine Key is featured throughout BP Pryor's Tactical series of novels
Images for kids
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The Blue Hole is the only freshwater lake in the Florida Keys.
See also
In Spanish: Big Pine Key para niños
