Duck Key facts for kids
Satellite image of Duck Key and Toms Harbor Keys
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 Duck Key
Location in Florida
Duck Key
Location in Caribbean
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Gulf of Mexico |
| Coordinates | 24°46′13.8″N 80°54′42.4″W / 24.770500°N 80.911778°W |
| Archipelago | Florida Keys |
| Adjacent bodies of water | Florida Straits |
| Administration | |
| State | Florida |
| County | Monroe |
Duck Key is a beautiful island located in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It is found in the middle of the famous Florida Keys, a chain of islands. Duck Key is part of a special area called a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's a community that doesn't have its own city government but is recognized for official population counts. The Duck Key CDP also includes the nearby island of Conch Key.
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History of Duck Key
Duck Key has an interesting past. In the 1820s and 1830s, people used the island to make salt. This was an important business back then.
Life on the Island Changes
Life on the island stopped for a while after a very strong storm. This was the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, which hit in 1935. It caused a lot of damage. People did not live on the island again until 1953. That's when a special road, called a causeway, was built. This causeway connected Duck Key to the main highway.
Who Owned Duck Key?
An old book from 1828, called Piloting Directions for the Gulf of Florida, mentions Duck Key. It says the island was about two miles (3 km) long. It was low, rocky, and covered with mangrove trees. There were also some small areas of good land with a few trees. The book notes that the saltworks on Duck Key were later moved to Key West. A person named Mr. Howe owned the island back then.
Duck Key Today
Today, a well-known place called Hawk's Cay Resort is located on Duck Key. Because of this, some people sometimes call the island by that name. A famous leader from Michigan, Emil Lockwood, retired here. He was involved in many community and political activities until he passed away in 2002.
Geography of Duck Key
Duck Key is located on the ocean side of U.S. 1, which is also known as the Overseas Highway. You can find it around mile marker 61. This means it's about 61 miles from the start of the highway in Key West. The island is situated between Conch Key and Grassy Key.
