Back Overseas Highway German Overseas Highway Finnish Overseas Highway French Jalan Raya Overseas ID Overseas Highway Italian オーバーシーズ・ハイウェイ Japanese Overseas Highway Dutch Overseas Highway Portuguese 跨海公路 (美國) Chinese
 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–present |
| Tourist routes | Florida Keys Scenic Highway |
| Major junctions | |
| South end |   US 1 / SR A1A/Eaton Street in Key West, FL |
 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 | |
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.
- ^ a b Logan, Walter (January 30, 1983). "ACROSS 42 BRIDGES THROUGH FLORIDA'S KEYS". The New York Times. Florida. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
- ^ a b "Road Trip: Florida Keys - National Geographic". Travel.nationalgeographic.com. January 1, 1970. Archived from the original on September 22, 2010. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
- ^ Marzyck, Marion E. "History and Background: The Overseas Highway". Web World Wonders. Florida State University. Archived from the original on May 1, 2008. Retrieved October 3, 2011.