The road to Key West from Fort Lauderdale is lined with popular attractions to see, things to do and many places to eat and drink (if you are not the driver!).
Even more quirky sights pop up along the road and the beauty of the newly named Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway (2025), will slow your trip to Key West.
The Fort Lauderdale to Key West Drive – What To Expect
Ok, we admit the drive through Miami may not be fun and scenic but that barren wasteland of highway will soon be replaced with islands, water and tropical scenes
What to expect on the Key West drive?
That depends on when you go. The traffic from Fort Lauderdale to the Overseas Highway (Route US 1) in Homestead should not be too traffic intense with many new improvements. We trust you can find your way on the day trip from Fort Lauderdale to the Florida Turnpike to get started.
The road from Homestead to Key Largo is a four-lane poorly maintained highway that can be very busy during the day hours and weekends.
The drive from Fort Lauderdale to Key Largo will be more stressful than the drive from Key Largo south to Key West.
There will be mostly four lanes and heavily traveled during peak hours. School zones slow morning traffic through the Keys from about 7:45 to 8:45 AM. The same applies in the afternoon from about 2:15 to 3:30.
Travel through the Keys may be slow, but for some of us that isn’t bad news. There are so many things to see and do, traffic doesn’t seem to be an issue for first-time Keys travelers. The 7-mile bridge in Marathon alone is one of the wonders of the world!
Finding Places in the Florida Keys
As you will discover, many things in the Florida Keys are unlike many other places in Florida.
The culture, the food, the people, and the surroundings are all unique. You will always be on an island – in fact over 40 of them along the way.
You will also find that things change in the Keys. Mother Nature with hurricanes, winds and water tends to move things around or some just disappear.
People in the Keys rely on a mile marker system. Along the road (US Route 1) are small green and white signs every mile denoting where you are. When you get on US Route 1 just before you enter the Keys you will be at MM 126.0. When you end the road in Key West, you will be at MM 0.
Places in between the mile markers are in tenths of a mile. For instance, the Worldwide Sportsman Store, worth your stop, is at MM 81.3 in Islamorada. Florida Travel Blog has a complete listing of over 130 mile markers for your convenience and sightseeing during your Key West day trip.
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