The Seven Mile Bridge over turquoise water: cars on the new span to the left, and the old bridge with no traffic running out to the horizon on the right

Florida Keys Road Trip: Overseas Highway 3-Day Itinerary

127 miles (204 km) on one road over 42 bridges, three days, and a hurricane season that ends 30 November.

127 mi · 3 days · Easy
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Photo: BitwiseXOR, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Overseas Highway is US 1 from Florida City to Key West: 127 miles (204 km) by the green mile markers, 42 bridges, and the only road. Large parts of it follow Henry Flagler's railroad bed, and the Seven Mile Bridge, Bahia Honda and the old railroad spans are the reason to go slowly.

Three days is the right length because the driving is short and the stops are the point. Day 1 runs about 45 miles (73 km) from Florida City to Islamorada through Key Largo and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Day 2 runs about 52 miles (83 km) from Islamorada to Big Pine Key through Marathon, the old Seven Mile Bridge and Bahia Honda. Day 3 covers the last 31 miles (49 km) to Key West. These leg distances are measured along the OpenStreetMap line of US 1, not taken from an official table, so expect a mile or two of difference on your odometer. This is the overnight that our 5 Days in Miami guide recommends instead of a day trip, because Key West is the end of the road and too far to do and return in one day.

The decision that matters is the calendar. Outside hurricane season the only question is traffic and where you sleep; inside it (1 June to 30 November) an evacuation order ends the trip. If you want Dry Tortugas, add a fourth day in Key West: it is reached only by ferry or seaplane, and the ferry is the only way to camp.

The Route on the Map

Each day in its own color, with the start and every night's stop numbered along the way.

Loading map...

Elevation Profile

Highest 30 ft (8 m) · lowest 0 ft (-1 m)

30 ft0 ft12
0 mi127 mi (204 km)

Route line: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), simplified. Elevations: USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain).

Day by Day

3 legs and 2 nights on the way, each in a different place.

  1. A long US 1 bridge crossing shallow turquoise water in Islamorada, with rocks along the shore and a swimmer in the distance
    Day 1

    Day 1: Florida City to Islamorada, through Key Largo

    Florida City, US 1 (mile marker 127)toIslamorada, US 1

    Distance
    45.5 mi 73.2 km

    The road starts on the mainland, crosses Jewfish Creek and the 18-Mile Stretch, and becomes the Keys at Key Largo. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is in Key Largo and is the practical stop of the day for the reef. Check the park's current hours and any boat or snorkel trips on the Florida State Parks site, book a morning slot if you want one, and leave Florida City early.

    If the 18-Mile Stretch is closed or slow, Card Sound Road is the other way into Key Largo, and the electronic toll is suspended while it is closed. Islamorada is a string of islands along the highway, so you can end the day anywhere in it.

    Sleep
    Islamorada · Town

    Photo: Clément Bardot, CC BY-SA 4.0

  2. The old Bahia Honda railroad bridge, a rust-brown steel truss on concrete piers running out over clear shallow water beside a sand beach
    Day 2

    Day 2: Islamorada to Big Pine Key, over the old Seven Mile Bridge

    Islamorada, US 1toBig Pine Key, US 1

    Distance
    51.6 mi 83.0 km

    Marathon (about mile markers 61 to 47) is the middle of the Keys. At its western end the new Seven Mile Bridge, built from 1978 to 1982, carries the traffic; beside it the old bridge, part of the 1912 railroad, is closed to cars and open to walkers and cyclists. It starts at Knights Key near mile marker 47, and Pigeon Key is about 2 miles (3.2 km) out. The island charges admission, and a train runs from the Pigeon Key visitor center at mile marker 47.5 if you do not want to walk.

    Past the bridge, Bahia Honda State Park is the beach stop; check its hours and entry fee on the Florida State Parks site. Big Pine Key is a short drive on, and the night there keeps the last day to about 31 miles (49 km).

    Sleep
    Big Pine Key (Lower Keys) · Town

    Photo: Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 4.0

  3. The END sign for US 1 above a MILE 0 marker on a pole in Key West, with a blue sky and a Duval Street sign on the building beside it
    Day 3

    Day 3: Big Pine Key to Key West, the end of the road

    Big Pine Key, US 1toKey West, US 1 at Whitehead Street (mile marker 0)

    Distance
    30.7 mi 49.4 km

    The shortest leg, about 31 miles (49 km), so there is time to arrive in the morning and spend the afternoon in town. US 1 ends on Whitehead Street, where the mile markers reach 0.

    Dry Tortugas is 70 miles (113 km) west of Key West and has no road. A day trip by ferry or seaplane needs a booking in advance. If you want to camp, the park's page names the commercial ferry, which takes up to 10 camping passengers per day, so book that first and plan the car trip around it.

    Photo: Julian Lupyan, CC0

Permits

No permit is required

Driving the Overseas Highway needs no permit, and the highway itself has no toll (Florida's Turnpike on the way down from Miami and Card Sound Road do). Some stops charge: the state parks (John Pennekamp, Bahia Honda) charge an entry fee, and Pigeon Key charges admission (15 USD for adults who walk or bike over the old bridge). Dry Tortugas National Park has a 15 USD entrance fee per person aged 16 and over, included in the ferry ticket; ask a seaplane operator how it handles the fee. Camping there costs 15 USD per night per site, paid with the Recreation.gov app on the island, and the individual sites cannot be reserved: the only reservation is the ferry seat, which the park says sells out months ahead.

The official permit page

Getting There and Back

How to reach the start of the Florida Keys Road Trip, and how to get home from the end.

The start

Florida City, the last town before the Keys, where US 1 meets the end of Florida's Turnpike. Mile markers start at 127 here and fall to 0 in Key West. The tourism board gives Miami as about 50 miles (80 km) and an hour from the start of the Keys; the Turnpike south to US 1, then about 22 miles (35 km) to Key Largo, is its directions from Miami International Airport.

The end

Key West, mile marker 0, where US 1 ends on Whitehead Street. There is one highway, so the way back is the same 127 miles (204 km) north; the other way out of Key Largo is Card Sound Road, which has an electronic toll (see the FAQ).

Parking

Overlooks and small beaches along the highway are pullouts, and the state parks charge entry per vehicle. In Key West check the parking rules where you sleep when you book; this page names no hotels.

Safety

  • Hurricanes. The Atlantic season runs from 1 June to 30 November, so it is still open as of 2 November 2026. Monroe County phases an evacuation by zone along the highway (Zone 1 is mile marker 0 to 6, Zone 2 is 6 to 40, Zone 3 is 40 to 63, Zone 4 is 63 to the Card Sound Road junction, Zone 5 is north of it). Its checklist for anyone told to leave: fill the tank early, because stations run out of fuel or close, and do not get on the road without a destination. Watch the county emergency management page in the days before you drive, and do not start the trip into a forecast storm.

  • One road. The Overseas Highway is the only main road through the Keys, over 42 bridges, so a crash or a bridge repair stops everything behind it. FDOT lists bridge and resurfacing projects on US 1 in Monroe County, with lane closures on its closure page and on FL511. Check before you set off and again at lunch. On 2 November 2026 that page listed single-lane closures with flaggers on the Seven Mile Bridge on Monday to Thursday nights (8 p.m. to 6 a.m.) and on the Bahia Honda Channel bridge on weekdays (7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.), with one lane in each direction kept open at all times in the Bahia Honda case. Closures change weekly.

  • The old Seven Mile Bridge. It is open to walkers, runners and cyclists and closed to motor vehicles. The walk to the island is about 2 miles (3.2 km), 4 miles (6.4 km) there and back, in the open over the water with a Florida sun on it. Pigeon Key says admission is required to reach the island, so go early in the day and decide at the start whether to turn back.

  • Dry Tortugas. The park has no cell service, no wifi, no electric hookups and no showers. The park recommends 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water per person per day for campers, more in the heat, and hard-sided food containers because of rats and crabs. Compressed gas canisters are not allowed on the ferry.

  • Daylight at the parks. John Pennekamp and Bahia Honda are state parks with posted opening hours, so check them on the Florida State Parks site and keep the Key Largo and Bahia Honda stops in the daytime of their legs, not after a late lunch.

Florida Keys Road Trip: FAQ

How long does it take to drive the Overseas Highway?

The road is 127 miles (204 km) from Florida City to Key West by the mile markers, and Miami is about 50 miles (80 km) and an hour from the start of the Keys. The driving is short, but traffic builds at peak times and the stops (Pennekamp, the old Seven Mile Bridge, Bahia Honda) take the time. Three days with two nights is comfortable; our Miami guide treats Key West as an overnight, not a day trip.

Can you walk or bike the old Seven Mile Bridge?

Yes. The old bridge is open to walkers, runners and cyclists, and closed to motor vehicles. Pigeon Key, about 2 miles (3.2 km) along it, charges admission to reach the island. Check the current hours on Pigeon Key before you go.

Do you need a permit to camp at Dry Tortugas?

No permit, but you need a ferry seat. The 6-person individual sites are first come, first served, and the park says that once you arrive you are guaranteed a spot; the ferry carries up to 10 camping passengers a day. The fee is 15 USD per night per site, paid with the Recreation.gov app. Details are on the park camping page.

What are the mile markers on the Overseas Highway?

Small green signs on the shoulder or median count the miles from 127 near Florida City down to 0 in Key West. Locals give locations in markers, and outside Key West and Marathon addresses follow them: an address starting 24 sits at about marker 24, with odd numbers on the Atlantic side and even numbers on the bay or gulf side.

What is Card Sound Road?

County Road 905A, the alternative way between Florida City and Key Largo, with an all-electronic toll. As of 1 October 2026 the county lists 2.18 USD with SunPass or 3.28 USD by plate for a car, and suspends the toll in mandatory hurricane evacuations and when the 18-Mile Stretch of US 1 is closed. See the Card Sound Toll Authority.

Is it safe to drive the Keys in hurricane season?

The Atlantic season runs from 1 June to 30 November. The road is driveable in it, but Monroe County phases evacuations by zone, and you should leave early and not drive into a forecast storm. Check the county emergency management site and FL511 before and during the trip.

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