Sugarloaf Key is a single island in the lower Florida Keys

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...

 that forms a loop on the Atlantic Ocean side giving the illusion of separate islands. Although frequently referred to simply and with technical accuracy as "Sugarloaf Key", this island contains two distinct island communities, known as Lower Sugarloaf Key

Lower Sugarloaf Key

Lower Sugarloaf Key is the lower arm of an island known as Sugarloaf Key in the lower Florida Keys about 13 miles east of Key West.U.S. 1 crosses the key at approximately mile markers 16.5–17.5. Due to the routing of U.S...

 and Upper Sugarloaf Key

Upper Sugarloaf Key

Upper Sugarloaf Key is located at ~24.7° N 81.5° W in the Florida Keys. It located between MM20.5-MM19 and bridge number 28/29 at Bow Channel/Park Key. . U.S. 1 crosses the key at approximately mile markers 19--20.5....

. The island is somewhat "U"-shaped, with Upper Sugarloaf Sound and Park Key

Park Key

Park Key is an uninhabited island in the lower Florida Keys about 14 miles east of Key West. It is 1500 Meters long, and between 75 and 260 Meters wide . It measures 28,5 hectares in area....

 separating the island into Upper Sugarloaf Key and Lower Sugarloaf Key. So called, upper and lower, simply referencing the relative nature of their geographic positions, not as distinct islands. Lower Sugarloaf Key is located approximately 13 miles from Key West

Key West

Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....

, between Park Key and Saddlebunch Keys

Saddlebunch Keys

The Saddlebunch Keys are a series of mangrove islands about 7 miles east of Key West, Florida.The keys are scattered between Lower Sugarloaf Key and Shark Key.U.S...

. Upper Sugarloaf Key is located about 15 miles east of Key West

Key West

Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....

, between Park Key and Cudjoe Key. While smaller in land area than Upper Sugarloaf Key, Lower Sugarloaf Key has a greater density of population.

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 Upper Sugarloaf Key at approximately mile markers 19–20.5 and Lower Sugarloaf Key at approximate mile markers 16.5–17.5.

The name Sugarloaf, is variously attributed as arising from either an Indian mound on the east side of Upper Sugarloaf Key, north of the present highway was said to look like an old-fashioned loaf of sugar or from the variety of pineapple called "sugarloaf" that was once grown in the area. These pineapples are rarely in commercial use any longer since they are soft and do not travel well.

Lower Sugarloaf Key has family owned Sugarloaf Lodge and restaurant, an airport, Sugarloaf Volunteer Fire Station, and Sugarloaf Key Bat Tower

Sugarloaf Key Bat Tower

The Sugarloaf Key Bat Tower is a historic site in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It is located a mile northwest of U.S. 1 on Lower Sugarloaf Key at mile marker 17. On May 13, 1982, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places....

.

Upper Sugarloaf Key has two public schools, a church, restaurant, commercial offices, public campground and the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge

Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge

The Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located in a region known as the 'Backcountry', which reaches from north of Marathon to north of Key West. It is along the north side of the Keys in that area that border the Gulf of Mexico...

.

Sugarloaf Key is already part of the Overseas Highway and will soon join other islands of the Florida Keys as part of the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail

Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail

The Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail is a pedestrian and cycling trail currently in development in the Florida Keys. There currently exist 60 miles of trail included in the project with 40 additional miles planned for development. The eventual vision for the trail is to span from the island...

 connecting mainland Florida to Key West via bicycle path(s).

Sugarloaf? Upper Sugarloaf? Lower Sugarloaf? While there may be debate over names, the road signs

Traffic sign

Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of roads to provide information to road users. With traffic volumes increasing over the last eight decades, many countries have adopted pictorial signs or otherwise simplified and standardized their signs to facilitate international travel...

particularly when trying to locate homes and businesses that are present as one approaches each island indicate that Upper Sugarloaf Key and Lower Sugarloaf Key are reasonably useful to help locals and visitors identify the separate communities for personal or business reasons.