Key Largo, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Key Largo, 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 | 15.25 sq mi (39.49 km2) |
| • Land | 12.05 sq mi (31.21 km2) |
| • Water | 3.19 sq mi (8.27 km2) |
| Elevation | 7 ft (2 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 12,447 |
| • Density | 1,032.86/sq mi (398.79/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
33037
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| Area code(s) | 305 |
| FIPS code | 12-36375 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0294458 |
Key Largo is a beautiful place in Florida, United States. It's located on the island of Key Largo, which is part of the amazing Florida Keys. The name "Key Largo" comes from the Spanish words Cayo Largo, meaning "long key."
This area is special because it's the first island you reach in the Florida Keys when driving from the north. You get there by taking the famous Overseas Highway. In 2020, about 12,447 people lived here. Key Largo was also a stop on the old Overseas Railroad.
Contents
Geography of Key Largo
Key Largo is located at 25°6′24″N 80°25′48″W / 25.10667°N 80.43000°W. It shares the island of Key Largo with other towns. Tavernier is to the southwest, and North Key Largo is to the northeast.
The main road, U.S. Route 1, also known as the Overseas Highway, runs through the entire community. This highway connects Key Largo to Miami, which is about 57 miles north. It also leads southwest to Key West, which is about 97 miles away.
Key Largo covers about 15.2 square miles in total. Most of this area, about 12.0 square miles, is land. The rest, about 3.2 square miles, is water.
Underwater Parks and Reefs
Key Largo is home to the first underwater park in the United States. This park, called the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, was created in 1963. It's mostly offshore and stretches about 3 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. The park is also about 25 miles long.
Right next to this park is the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. This sanctuary covers a huge area of 178 square nautical miles. Both of these special areas help protect the amazing marine life. They are especially important for keeping the large coral reefs healthy.
Key Largo's Climate
Key Largo has a tropical monsoon climate. This means it has warm temperatures all year round. It also has a wet season and a dry season. The weather is usually sunny and pleasant, making it a great place to visit.
| Climate data for John Pennekamp State Park, Florida, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2004–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 85 (29) |
89 (32) |
88 (31) |
93 (34) |
93 (34) |
94 (34) |
95 (35) |
93 (34) |
93 (34) |
91 (33) |
88 (31) |
86 (30) |
95 (35) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 81.9 (27.7) |
83.1 (28.4) |
85.2 (29.6) |
87.3 (30.7) |
88.7 (31.5) |
91.0 (32.8) |
91.9 (33.3) |
92.0 (33.3) |
90.9 (32.7) |
89.0 (31.7) |
85.2 (29.6) |
83.3 (28.5) |
92.9 (33.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 76.2 (24.6) |
78.0 (25.6) |
79.7 (26.5) |
82.5 (28.1) |
85.1 (29.5) |
88.1 (31.2) |
89.8 (32.1) |
90.1 (32.3) |
88.8 (31.6) |
85.9 (29.9) |
81.4 (27.4) |
78.1 (25.6) |
83.6 (28.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 69.4 (20.8) |
71.2 (21.8) |
73.2 (22.9) |
76.6 (24.8) |
79.7 (26.5) |
82.6 (28.1) |
84.1 (28.9) |
84.5 (29.2) |
83.3 (28.5) |
80.6 (27.0) |
75.7 (24.3) |
71.9 (22.2) |
77.7 (25.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 62.6 (17.0) |
64.5 (18.1) |
66.8 (19.3) |
70.7 (21.5) |
74.2 (23.4) |
77.2 (25.1) |
78.5 (25.8) |
78.8 (26.0) |
77.8 (25.4) |
75.3 (24.1) |
69.9 (21.1) |
65.8 (18.8) |
71.8 (22.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 45.9 (7.7) |
49.3 (9.6) |
52.3 (11.3) |
60.1 (15.6) |
66.6 (19.2) |
71.5 (21.9) |
72.9 (22.7) |
72.7 (22.6) |
72.1 (22.3) |
65.7 (18.7) |
57.1 (13.9) |
52.2 (11.2) |
43.2 (6.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 34 (1) |
38 (3) |
44 (7) |
52 (11) |
60 (16) |
68 (20) |
70 (21) |
71 (22) |
65 (18) |
54 (12) |
46 (8) |
37 (3) |
34 (1) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.13 (54) |
2.01 (51) |
2.22 (56) |
3.33 (85) |
4.76 (121) |
7.91 (201) |
5.81 (148) |
6.89 (175) |
8.18 (208) |
7.87 (200) |
3.31 (84) |
2.53 (64) |
56.95 (1,447) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 7.5 | 6.2 | 5.1 | 6.7 | 7.1 | 10.9 | 13.0 | 14.5 | 16.1 | 11.6 | 8.9 | 7.9 | 115.5 |
| Source: NOAA (mean maxima/minima, precip days 2006–2020) | |||||||||||||
Key Largo's Population
The number of people living in Key Largo has changed over the years. Here's a quick look at the population counts from different years:
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1970 | 2,866 | — | |
| 1980 | 7,447 | 159.8% | |
| 1990 | 11,336 | 52.2% | |
| 2000 | 12,971 | 14.4% | |
| 2010 | 10,433 | −19.6% | |
| 2020 | 12,447 | 19.3% | |
| source: | |||
Population in 2020
In 2020, there were 12,447 people living in Key Largo. These people lived in 4,326 households. About 2,692 of these were families.
Most people in Key Largo are White (64.37%). About 29.59% of the population is Hispanic or Latino. Other groups include Black or African American (1.71%) and Asian (0.92%).
| Race | Number | Percentage |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 8,012 | 64.37% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 213 | 1.71% |
| Native American | 19 | 0.15% |
| Asian | 115 | 0.92% |
| Pacific Islander | 8 | 0.06% |
| Other/Mixed | 397 | 3.19% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3,683 | 29.59% |
The average household had about 2.26 people. The average family had about 2.75 people. The median age in Key Largo was 43 years old. This means half the people were younger than 43 and half were older.
Education in Key Largo
The Monroe County School District is in charge of schools in Key Largo. They operate the Key Largo School.
There used to be a private school called Saint Justin Martyr, Academy of Marine Science. It was run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami.
Key Largo in Pop Culture
Key Largo has been featured in movies and songs!
- The 1948 film Key Largo was set here. It starred famous actors like Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall, and Humphrey Bogart.
- The hit song "Key Largo" by Bertie Higgins (1981) was inspired by the movie.
- The song "Smooth Operator" by Sade (1984) mentions the town itself.
- The popular song "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys also references Key Largo.
Notable People from Key Largo
- Dick Rutkowski is a notable person from Key Largo. He founded IANTD, an organization for technical diving.
See also
In Spanish: Cayo Largo (Florida) para niños
