Key West is the name of both a city and an island located near the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys in Monroe County, Florida. Key West is known as the Southernmost City in the Continental United States. Key West is an enchanting place where many visitors come on vacation to create fond memories of an unforgettable Key West sunset, strolling through Old Town lane and smelling the jasmine, or visiting one of the bars on Duval Street.
Key West is a popular seaport destination for many passenger cruise ships. The area has many hotels and guest houses available for lodging and many restaurants that offer a choice of indoor or outdoor dining. The Duval Street bar and restaurant district includes many different entertainment options, all within walking distance of each other. Many visitors to Key West rent a bicycle to help them explore the history and architecture of Old Town Key West. Walking tours, including a tour of the unusual Key West Cemetery, are available. The Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square is a daily spectacle for visitors and residents. Boat excursions and tours provide a great way to view Key West from the water. The Tennessee Williams Theatre is a performing arts center, a civic center, and a community center. The Key West Botanical Forest and Garden is an excellent, frost-free arboretum and botanical garden containing a number of "champion tree" specimens. Nancy Forrester's Secret Garden is a one acre (4,000 m²) garden resembling a lush, predominantly green, rainforest. It is an exhibit of wild nature’s artistry in a woodland garden. The Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory features a 5,000 square foot (460 m²) glass-domed tropical butterfly habitat. The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum showcases gold, silver, and treasure recovered from shipwrecks around the world. Some tourists mingle with the locals, shop, and dine at the Key West Historic Seaport at the Key West Bight. The Key West Lighthouse and Keeper's Quarters Museum preserves the history of the Key West Lighthouse built in 1847. Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway's former home is now open to the public as a museum, populated by as many as sixty descendants of his famous polydactyl cats.
Key West has a mild, tropical-maritime climate, similar to the Caribbean islands. This is due to the proximity of the Gulf Stream in the Straits of Florida and the tempering effects of the Gulf of Mexico to the west and north. The easterly trade winds and sea breezes help to restrain the normal summertime heating found in Florida. Key West claims to be the only city in the lower 48 states never to have had a frost. The average temperature during winter varies only by 14 degrees from the summer months. The average low and high temperatures in July are 81°F/ 90°F, while the average low and high temperatures in January are 67°F/ 75°F. Location Key West is 129 miles southwest of Miami, Florida or l06 miles north northeast of Havana, Cuba. Key West is located at 24°33′33″N, 81°47′03″W (24.559166, -81.784031).
