Monroe County, Florida

Monroe County is a county in the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 82,874. Its county seat is Key West. Monroe County includes the islands of the Florida Keys and comprises the Key West-Key Largo Micropolitan Statistical Area. Over 99.9% of the county's population lives on the Florida Keys. The mainland, which is part of the Everglades, comprises 87% of the county's land area and is virtually uninhabited with only 17 people recorded in the 2020 census.

History
Monroe County was created in 1823. It was named for James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3738 sqmi, of which 983 sqmi (26.3%) is land and 2754 sqmi (73.7%) is water. It is the largest county in Florida by total area.

More than 99.9 percent of the Monroe County population lives in the island chain known as the Florida Keys.

Two thirds of the large area in what local residents call "mainland Monroe" is uninhabited by virtue of being part of the Everglades National Park, and the remainder by the Big Cypress National Preserve in the northeastern interior. The area, officially named Cape Sable Census County Division, is virtually uninhabited. This area has 87.4 percent of the county's land area (859.6 out of 983 sqmi), but it had only 0.022 percent of the county's population (18 out of 82,170) as of the 2021 American Community Survey. The Census Bureau defines this area as Census Tract 9800 of Monroe County, Florida.

In mainland Monroe, the only three populated places appearing on detailed maps and in the USGS geographic name database are Flamingo, Pinecrest, (not to be confused with much larger Pinecrest of neighboring Miami-Dade County), and Trail City. Flamingo, on the south coast and at the end of State Road 9336 (Flamingo Lodge Highway), is the location of the Flamingo Lodge and the Flamingo Ranger Station (with Visitor Center & Marina). 7 mi northeast on the highway is the West Lake Trail (station). Pinecrest, located in the northern interior of the county (in the Big Cypress National Preserve) on Loop Road (given that name since it forms a loop with U.S. Highway 41 further north), hosts the Loop Road Education Center. Trail City is 4 mi west of Pinecrest on Loop Road. Loop Road can be found on most maps as CR 94, although the roadway no longer has a numbered designation and is now managed by the National Park Service.

Between the south coast of Florida's mainland and the Florida Keys is Florida Bay, which is encompassed by the Everglades National Park and contains numerous islets or keys.

The county is coterminous with the Key West-Key Largo, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA), with Key Largo and Key West designated as principal cities. The μSA was first defined in 2003 as the Key West-Marathon, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area. The name was changed to Key West, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area in 2006, and to Key West-Key Largo, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area in 2023. The μSA is part of the Miami-Port Saint Lucie-Fort Lauderdale Combined Statistical Area.

Adjacent counties

 * Collier County – north (on mainland)
 * Miami-Dade County – east (on mainland) and north (over water)

Protected areas

 * Bahia Honda State Park
 * Big Cypress National Preserve
 * Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge
 * Curry Hammock State Park
 * Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park
 * Dry Tortugas National Park
 * Everglades National Park
 * Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
 * Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge
 * Indian Key State Historic Site
 * John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
 * Key West National Wildlife Refuge
 * Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park
 * Long Key State Park
 * National Key Deer Refuge
 * San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park
 * Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 82,874 people, 32,839 households, and 18,586 families residing in the county.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 73,090 people, 32,629 households, and 18,219 families living in the county. The racial makeup of the county was 89.5% White (71.3% Non-Hispanic White), 5.7% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.4% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. 20.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 79,589 people, 35,086 households, and 20,384 families living in the county. The population density was 80 /mi2. There were 51,617 housing units at an average density of 52 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 90.65% White, 4.77% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.55% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. 15.77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2005 Monroe County had a population that was 75.1% non-Hispanic white, 17.7% Latino, 5.4% African-American and 1.1% Asian.

In 2000 there were 35,086 households, out of which 20.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.80% were married couples living together, 7.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.90% were non-families. 28.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.73.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 17.10% under the age of 18, 6.30% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 30.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 113.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,283, and the median income for a family was $50,734. Males had a median income of $31,266 versus $25,709 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,102. About 6.80% of families and 10.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.80% of those under age 18 and 8.80% of those age 65 or over.

Languages
As of 2010, 77.57% spoke English as a first language, and 17.56% spoke Spanish, 0.96% spoke French Creole (mainly Haitian Creole), 0.74% spoke French, and 0.50% spoke Russian as their primary language. In total, 22.43% of the population spoke a main language other than English.

Airports

 * Key West International Airport
 * Florida Keys Marathon Airport

Culture
Monroe County cultural organizations include the Key West Literary Seminar, The Studios of Key West, the Red Barn Theatre, Key West Symphony, Sculpture Key West, Fantasy Fest, the San Carlos Institute, Hemingway House and Museum, Customs House Museum, and Key West Art and Historical Society.

The Florida Keys Council for the Arts is the primary cultural umbrella for the Florida Keys, and serves the population from Key Largo to Key West. A non-profit local arts agency, it makes grants, operates the Monroe County Art in Public Places program, sponsors seminars, and manages the on-line cultural calendar for the region. It also manages the county's Tourism Development Council arts marketing grants and serves as a leading advocate for cultural tourism in lower Florida. In 1998, the Florida Keys Council of the Arts was designated by the Board of Monroe County Commissioners as the area's Local Arts Agency as provided by Florida Statute 286.011. Established in 1997 as the Monroe Council of the Arts Corporation. The name was changed to the Florida Keys Council of the Arts in 2001. Today the organization is the liaison among cultural organizations, all levels of government and the private sector in encouraging and promoting the arts throughout Monroe County. The council endeavors to make the arts a part of the fabric of daily life. From its inception through fiscal year end 2006, FKCA has awarded $433,916 in privately raised funds and grants to literary, visual and performing artists and cultural organizations. Add to that sum the Cultural Umbrella event funding, the South Florida Cultural Consortium Visual & Media Artists Fellowships and The Art in Public Places commissions, and the total distributed in the Keys cultural community through FKCA's efforts come to $2.5 million to date. The annual economic impact of the non-profit cultural community in the Keys is estimated at over $22 million. The Florida Keys Council of the Arts, a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation in a public-private partnership with local county government since 1997 serves 76,329 local residents and three million visitors annually. A ten-member board of directors guides the council, assisted by three alternate directors, two directors Emeritus and twenty-five advisory board members.

Education
The Monroe County School District serves the entire county, as well as several private schools for primary and secondary education.

Florida Keys Community College is the primary college education provider with main campus in Key West, Florida. FKCC also operates two additional campuses in the Florida Keys; one in Marathon and another in Key Largo.

Politics
Like much of the Solid South, in the first two-thirds of the 20th century, Monroe was a solidly Democratic county, supporting landslide losers like James M. Cox and John W. Davis. However, unlike most Southern Democrats, Monroe County voters tended to be far more liberal on social issues such as civil rights and later gay rights, voting powerfully for Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 and even supporting Hubert Humphrey in 1968, one of only three counties to do so. Despite this, Richard Nixon did easily carry the county in his 1972 landslide, becoming the first Republican winner since 1888 and taking over 70% of the vote.

Since the 1970s, Monroe has been a competitive swing county in presidential elections. Although Monroe County has voted mostly for the Democratic candidate since 1992, it is a competitive county in presidential elections; it was won by the Democratic Party by margins of 5% in 2008 and 0.5% in 2004 and 2012. Barack Obama was the first candidate for president to win a majority, 51.7%, of the vote since George H. W. Bush's national 7.7% victory in 1988. In 2016, Donald Trump became the first Republican to carry the county in almost three decades, winning a majority and winning it by an even larger margin than Obama had won it by in 2008. In 2020, he won it by a still wider margin.

Monroe County is home to a large LGBT community, particularly in Key West. Due to the influence of this community, Monroe County was the only county in Florida to reject 2008 Florida Amendment 2, which banned same-sex marriage and civil unions in the state. The amendment passed in the state with 60% of the vote.

Monroe County is politically divided by geography, with Key West voting reliably Democratic, Stock Island being politically variable, and the rest of the archipelago voting reliably Republican. The western part of Key West is more strongly Democratic than the eastern part of the island.

On July 17, 2014, a county court judge ruled the state's ban on same sex marriage unconstitutional, ordering the county clerk of court to issue marriage licenses on July 22, 2014.

Libraries
The Monroe County Public Library system serves residents of the Florida Keys in five locations: Key West, Big Pine, Marathon, Key Largo, and Islamorada.

The Monroe County Public Library provides various programs and services to the Monroe County community, including job finding tools. There is a program that preserves the history of the Keys for use by customers. In 2010 the library worked to digitize historical photographs of the Keys.

Annual visitors cards can be purchased for $30. The library provides access to PCs with internet and word processing capabilities. The library also provides free Wi-Fi for all.

The Monroe County Public Library is served by the Miami-Dade County subregional library of Florida Bureau of Braille and Talking Books Library.

Economy
54% of the people in the county work in the tourist industry. In 2016, tourism brought $2.7 billion to the county.

Cities

 * Key West (1)
 * Marathon (2)
 * Key Colony Beach (3)
 * Layton (4)

Village

 * Islamorada (5)

Census-designated places

 * Stock Island (a)
 * Big Coppitt Key (b)
 * Cudjoe Key (c)
 * Big Pine Key (d)
 * Duck Key (e)
 * Tavernier (f)
 * Key Largo (g)
 * North Key Largo (h)

Other unincorporated areas

 * Flamingo (i)
 * Bay Point (j)
 * Sugarloaf Shores (k)
 * Marquesas Keys (l)
 * Bahia Honda Key (m)
 * Everglades (n)

Former communities

 * Chevelier
 * Craig
 * Fort Jefferson
 * Indian Key
 * Perky
 * Poinciana
 * Pigeon Key
 * Pinecrest
 * Snake Bight