Monroe County, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Monroe County
County
The Monroe County Courthouse in Key West
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Florida
Founded	July 3, 1823
Named for	James Monroe
Seat	Key West
Largest city	Key West
Area
• Total	3,738 sq mi (9,680 km2)
• Land	983 sq mi (2,550 km2)
• Water	2,754 sq mi (7,130 km2)  73.7%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	82,874
• Estimate  (2023)	80,614
• Density	22.1707/sq mi (8.5601/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	28th

Monroe County is the southernmost county of the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 82,874. Its county seat is Key West. Monroe County includes the islands of the Florida Keys and comprises the Key West-Key Largo Micropolitan Statistical Area. Over 99.9% of the county's population lives on the Florida Keys. The mainland, which is part of the Everglades, comprises 87% of the county's land area and is virtually uninhabited with only 17 people recorded in the 2020 census.

History

Monroe County was created in 1823. It was named for James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,738 square miles (9,680 km²), of which 983 square miles (2,550 km²) (26.3%) is land and 2,754 square miles (7,130 km²) (73.7%) is water. It is the largest county in Florida by total area.

More than 99.9 percent of the Monroe County population lives in the island chain known as the Florida Keys.

Two thirds of the large area in what local residents call "mainland Monroe" is uninhabited by virtue of being part of the Everglades National Park, and the remainder by the Big Cypress National Preserve in the northeastern interior. The area, officially named Cape Sable Census County Division, is virtually uninhabited. This area has 87.4 percent of the county's land area (859.6 out of 983 sq mi (2,546 km²)), but it had only 0.022 percent of the county's population (18 out of 82,170) as of the 2021 American Community Survey. The Census Bureau defines this area as Census Tract 9800 of Monroe County, Florida.

In mainland Monroe, the only three populated places appearing on detailed maps and in the USGS geographic name database are Flamingo, Pinecrest, (not to be confused with much larger Pinecrest of neighboring Miami-Dade County), and Trail City. Flamingo, on the south coast and at the end of State Road 9336 (Flamingo Lodge Highway), is the location of the Flamingo Lodge and the Flamingo Ranger Station (with Visitor Center & Marina). 7 mi (11 km) northeast on the highway is the West Lake Trail (station). Pinecrest, located in the northern interior of the county (in the Big Cypress National Preserve) on Loop Road (given that name since it forms a loop with U.S. Highway 41 further north), hosts the Loop Road Education Center. Trail City is 4 mi (6 km) west of Pinecrest on Loop Road. Loop Road can be found on most maps as CR 94, although the roadway no longer has a numbered designation and is now managed by the National Park Service.

Between the south coast of Florida's mainland and the Florida Keys is Florida Bay, which is encompassed by the Everglades National Park and contains numerous islets or keys.

The county is coterminous with the Key West-Key Largo, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA), with Key Largo and Key West designated as principal cities. The μSA was first defined in 2003 as the Key West-Marathon, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area. The name was changed to Key West, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area in 2006, and to Key West-Key Largo, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area in 2023. The μSA is part of the Miami-Port Saint Lucie-Fort Lauderdale Combined Statistical Area.

Adjacent counties

• Collier County – north (on mainland)
• Miami-Dade County – east (on mainland) and north (over water)

Protected areas

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 82,874 people, 32,839 households, and 18,586 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 73,090 people, 32,629 households, and 18,219 families living in the county. The racial makeup of the county was 89.5% White (71.3% Non-Hispanic White), 5.7% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.4% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. 20.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Languages

As of 2010, 77.57% spoke only English at home, while 17.56% spoke Spanish, 0.96% French Creole (mainly Haitian Creole), 0.74% French, and 0.50% spoke Russian at home . In total, 22.43% of the population spoke a language other than English at home.

Transportation

Airports

• Key West International Airport
• Florida Keys Marathon Airport

Major highways

• US 1 / SR 5 (Overseas Highway)
• SR A1A (Roosevelt Boulevard)
• CR 905 (Key Largo Drive)
• CR 905A (Card Sound Road)

Culture

Monroe County cultural organizations include the Key West Literary Seminar, The Studios of Key West, the Red Barn Theatre, Key West Symphony, Sculpture Key West, Fantasy Fest, the San Carlos Institute, Hemingway House and Museum, Customs House Museum, and Key West Art and Historical Society.

The Florida Keys Council for the Arts is the primary cultural umbrella for the Florida Keys, and serves the population from Key Largo to Key West. A non-profit local arts agency, it makes grants, operates the Monroe County Art in Public Places program, sponsors seminars, and manages the on-line cultural calendar for the region. It also manages the county's Tourism Development Council arts marketing grants and serves as a leading advocate for cultural tourism in lower Florida. In 1998, the Florida Keys Council of the Arts was designated by the Board of Monroe County Commissioners as the area's Local Arts Agency as provided by Florida Statute 286.011. Established in 1997 as the Monroe Council of the Arts Corporation. The name was changed to the Florida Keys Council of the Arts in 2001. Today the organization is the liaison among cultural organizations, all levels of government and the private sector in encouraging and promoting the arts throughout Monroe County. The council endeavors to make the arts a part of the fabric of daily life. From its inception through fiscal year end 2006, FKCA has awarded $433,916 in privately raised funds and grants to literary, visual and performing artists and cultural organizations. Add to that sum the Cultural Umbrella event funding, the South Florida Cultural Consortium Visual & Media Artists Fellowships and The Art in Public Places commissions, and the total distributed in the Keys cultural community through FKCA's efforts come to $2.5 million to date. The annual economic impact of the non-profit cultural community in the Keys is estimated at over $22 million. The Florida Keys Council of the Arts, a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation in a public-private partnership with local county government since 1997 serves 76,329 local residents and three million visitors annually. A ten-member board of directors guides the council, assisted by three alternate directors, two directors Emeritus and twenty-five advisory board members.

Education

The Monroe County School District serves the entire county, as well as several private schools for primary and secondary education.

Florida Keys Community College is the primary college education provider with main campus in Key West, Florida. FKCC also operates two additional campuses in the Florida Keys; one in Marathon and another in Key Largo.

Economy

54% of the people in the county work in the tourist industry. In 2016, tourism brought $2.7 billion to the county.

Communities

Cities

• Key West (1)
• Marathon (2)
• Key Colony Beach (3)
• Layton (4)

Village

• Islamorada (5)

Census-designated places

• Stock Island (a)
• Big Coppitt Key (b)
• Cudjoe Key (c)
• Big Pine Key (d)
• Duck Key (e)
• Tavernier (f)
• Key Largo (g)
• North Key Largo (h)

Other unincorporated areas

• Flamingo (i)
• Bay Point (j)
• Sugarloaf Shores (k)
• Marquesas Keys (l)
• Bahia Honda Key (m)
• Everglades (n)

Former communities

• Chevelier
• Craig
• Fort Jefferson
• Indian Key
• Perky
• Poinciana
• Pigeon Key
• Pinecrest
• Snake Bight

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Monroe (Florida) para niños