Overseas Highway

U.S. Highway 1
Overseas Highway
Overseas Highway highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by FDOT
Length	106.5 mi[1][2] (171.4 km)
Existed	January 5, 1928 (1928-01-05)–present
Tourist routes	Florida Keys Scenic Highway
Major junctions
South end	US 1 / SR A1A in Key West, FL
Major intersections	CR 905 in Key Largo, FL
North end	US 1 (Dixie Highway) near Florida City, FL
Location
Country	United States
State	Florida
Counties	Monroe County
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided Florida State Highway System Interstate US State Former Pre‑1945 Toll Scenic

The Overseas Highway is a 113-mile (181.9 km)^[1][2] highway carrying U.S. Route 1 (US 1) through the Florida Keys to Key West. 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 destroyed in the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. The Florida East Coast Railway was financially unable to rebuild the destroyed sections, so the roadbed and remaining bridges were sold to the state of Florida for $640,000.

Since the 1950s, the Overseas Highway has been refurbished into a main coastal highway between the cities of Miami and Key West,^[3] offering travelers an exotic roadway through a tropical savanna environment and access to the largest area of coral reefs on the U.S. mainland. Many exotic animals such as the American Alligator, American Crocodile and Key Deer inhabit the tropical islands of the Florida Keys.