Key Colony Beach is a municipality in the middle of the

Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and e ...

Monroe County Monroe County may refer to seventeen counties in the United States, all named for James Monroe: * Monroe County, Alabama *Monroe County, Arkansas * Monroe County, Florida * Monroe County, Georgia *Monroe County, Illinois *Monroe County, Indian ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, United States. The population was 797 at the 2010 census. As of 2018, the population estimated by the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

was 814.

Geography

Key Colony Beach is located at (24.724515, –81.017928). Most of the city is located on an island formerly known as Shelter Key; a small part of the city is on

Fat Deer Key Fat Deer Key is an island in the middle Florida Keys. U.S. 1 (or the Overseas Highway) crosses the key near mile markers 53.5-56, between Long Point Key and Key Vaca. It is entirely within the cities of Marathon, Florida and Key Colony Beac ...

, where the Sadowski Causeway (also 131st St Ocean on the

Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

street grid), which is the only road entering the city, connects to

U.S. 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway System, United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, ...

(the

Overseas Highway The Overseas Highway is a 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 Railwa ...

). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (23.88%) is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 790 people, 320 households, and 181 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 788 people, 422 households, and 253 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,293 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.11%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.51%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, and 0.38% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 4.44% of the population. There were 422 households, out of which 8.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 3.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.87 and the average family size was 2.25. In the city, the population was spread out, with 7.6% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 14.3% from 25 to 44, 36.8% from 45 to 64, and 37.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 58 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $45,577, and the median income for a family was $53,750. Males had a median income of $28,654 versus $27,143 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $40,631. About 3.9% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

History

Before the early 1950s, Shelter Key (on which most of Key Colony Beach is located) was a low-lying island. Then, Phil Sadowski began dredging around the island, adding to its size and increasing its height to above mean sea level, and later built developments on the island. Around 1956–1957, residents of nearby

began discussing incorporating the entire area. Sadowski was not keen on having his development swallowed up into Marathon, so he began the process of incorporating the island into its own city. The

Florida Legislature The Florida Legislature is the legislature of the U.S. State of Florida. It is organized as a bicameral body composed of an upper chamber, the Senate, and a lower chamber, the House of Representatives. Article III, Section 1 of the Florida Cons ...

passed legislation in June 1957 allowing incorporation, which local residents passed unanimously in September, thus creating today's Key Colony Beach. Incorporation became a blessing in 1960, when much of the city was destroyed by

Hurricane Donna Hurricane Donna, known in Puerto Rico as Hurricane San Lorenzo, was the strongest hurricane of the 1960 Atlantic hurricane season, and caused severe damage to the Lesser Antilles, the Greater Antilles, and the East Coast of the United States, ...

. As a separately incorporated city, Key Colony Beach received its own federal grant to rebuild; nearby Marathon (not yet incorporated) had to settle for a portion of the grant given to Monroe County. However, the storm (and then the takeover of

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...

) depressed real estate prices, and it took several years to for prices to stabilize.

Geographical layout

Key Colony Beach is reached over the Sadowski Causeway, which connects Key Colony Beach to

, on the east side of the city. It lies directly south of the City of Marathon, spanning a narrow cut. Along the causeway are some charter fishing boats and a dockside restaurant called Sparky's Landing. At the base of the causeway, West Ocean Drive branches off first to the right and East Ocean Drive soon after branches to the left. On West Ocean Drive is the police station, along with the post office and town hall. In the same vicinity is a small park with a fountain and a gazebo. The entire ocean-facing side of West Ocean Drive is lined by various condominium complexes, while the side facing Marathon houses the Key Colony Inn and a par 3 golf course. Starting at the far end of East Ocean Drive, streets are numbered one to fifteen east to west, and run from south to north toward Shelter Bay. The most notable buildings along East Ocean Drive are the Key Colony Beach Motel and the Key Colony Beach Club. At the tip of West Ocean Drive is Sunset Park, the place closest to where a woman was fatally struck by a

spotted eagle ray The spotted eagle ray (''Aetobatus narinari'') is a cartilaginous fish of the eagle ray family, Myliobatidae. As traditionally recognized, it is found globally in tropical regions, including the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Recent auth ...

. Many news reports were recorded from this park overlooking the shallows where the Vaca Cut meets the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

Education

It is in the Monroe County School District. It is zoned to Stanley Switick Elementary School (K-8) in

Notable people

Charley Lau Charles Richard Lau (April 12, 1933 – March 18, 1984) was an American professional baseball player and a highly influential hitting coach. During his playing career in Major League Baseball, Lau appeared in 527 games as a catcher and pinch hitt ...

baseball player Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

and coachProfessor of hitting
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References

External links

City of Key Colony Beach
official site {{authority control Cities in Monroe County, Florida Cities in Florida Populated coastal places in Florida on the Atlantic Ocean Beaches of Monroe County, Florida Beaches of Florida