Long Key
Encyclopedia
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
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U.S. 1
U.S. Route 1 in Florida
U.S. Route 1 in Florida runs along the state's east coast from Key West to its crossing of the St. Marys River into Georgia north of Boulogne, and south of Folkston. US 1 was designated through Florida when the U.S. Highway System was established in 1926.US 1 runs in the state of Florida, and...
(or the Overseas Highway
Overseas Highway
The Overseas Highway is a highway carrying U.S. Route 1 through the Florida Keys. Large parts of it were built on the former right-of-way of the Overseas Railroad, the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway. Completed in 1912, the Overseas Railroad was heavily damaged and partially...
) crosses the key at approximately mile markers 65.5--71, between Fiesta Key
Fiesta Key
Fiesta Key is an island in the middle Florida Keys.It is connected via causeway to U.S. 1 at mile marker 70, near the eastern end of Long Key.First recorded as Jew-Fish Kay ....
and Conch Key.
It is the home of Long Key State Park
Long Key State Park
Long Key State Park is a Florida State Park located on Long Key, one of the Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It is at mile marker 67.5 on U.S. 1, 67400 Overseas Highway.-History:...
, a favorite of campers and nature lovers despite the lack of a beach and the proximity of noisy U.S. 1
U.S. Route 1 in Florida
U.S. Route 1 in Florida runs along the state's east coast from Key West to its crossing of the St. Marys River into Georgia north of Boulogne, and south of Folkston. US 1 was designated through Florida when the U.S. Highway System was established in 1926.US 1 runs in the state of Florida, and...
. It is smaller and less developed than the neighboring incorporated village of Islamorada to the northeast and city of Marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
to the southwest.
The city of Layton
Layton, Florida
Layton is a city on the island of Long Key in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The population was 186 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 204 .-History of Layton:...
is located on Long Key.
Long Key was called Cayo Vivora (Rattlesnake Key) by early Spanish explorers, a reference to the shape of the island, which resembles a snake with its jaws open, rather than to its denizens.
It was visited by C.W. Pierce in his boat, Bonton (1885). He stopped at the lower end of the key where there was a house with a cistern and replenished his water supply. This key was a depot site during the railroad years, and was also the site of the well known Long Key Fishing Camp
Long Key Fishing Camp
Long Key Fishing Camp was established on Long Key in Florida in 1908 by Henry M. Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway Company for the use of tourists to enjoy what was described as "some of the best fishing in the world." It initially served a housing for some of the employees who were building the...
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The 965 acres (3.9 km²) state park (3.9 km²) was dedicated October 1, 1969.