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Key West History

Key West (SpanishCayo Hueso) is an island city in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. The city lies at the southernmost end of U.S. Route 1, the longest north–south road in the United States. Key West is the southernmost city in the contiguous United States and the westernmost island connected by highway in the Florida Keys. The island is about 4 miles (6.4 km) long and 1 mile (1.6 km) wide, with a total land area of 4.2 square miles (11 km2). Duval Street, its main street, is 1.1 miles (1.8 km) in length in its 14-block-long crossing from the Gulf of Mexico to the Straits of Florida and the Atlantic Ocean. Key West is about 95 miles (153 km) north of Cuba at their closest points.[7][8]

The city is the county seat of Monroe County which includes all of the Florida Keys. The city boundaries include the island of Key West and all or part of several nearby islands: Sigsbee ParkFleming KeySunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island. The total land area of the city is 5.6 square miles (14.5 km2). Key West is the southern terminus of U.S. Route 1State Road A1A, the East Coast Greenway and, before 1935, the Florida East Coast Railway.

Key West is 130 miles (210 km) southwest of Miami by air, about 165 miles (266 km) by road, and 106 miles (171 km) north-northeast of Havana.[7] Key West is a port of call for many passenger cruise ships. The Key West International Airport provides airline service. Naval Air Station Key West is an important year-round training site for naval aviation due to the tropical weather, which is also the reason Key West was chosen as the site of President Harry S. Truman‘s Winter White House. The central business district is located along Duval Street and includes much of the northwestern corner of the island. The official city motto is “One Human Family”