Florida Keys Road Trip: 3 Days by Bridge
113 miles of bridges over turquoise water.
The Florida road trip most people mean: three days down the Overseas Highway from Miami to Key West, with bridge stops and the truth on hurricane season.
If there is one Florida road trip that justifies the car, it is this one: 113 miles of the Overseas Highway hopping 44 bridges from the mainland to Key West, with water on both sides for most of it. Everything on the Keys is addressed by mile marker, counting down from MM 106 at Key Largo to MM 0 in Key West, and locals give directions that way: worth knowing before someone tells you the restaurant is at MM 81 bayside.
Three days is the right length. The driving is only three hours in total, but the road is a single lane each way for long stretches with nowhere to overtake, and the point is to stop: at Bahia Honda, at the old Seven Mile Bridge, at whichever key you decide to swim off.
Your days
You trade Miami traffic for sawgrass and coral: gators by morning, glass-bottom reef views by afternoon.
A 15 km detour off US-1 brings you into the park entrance before continuing to the Keys.
You're now in Key Largo itself, and the park sits right along the highway.
Overnight in Key Largo, FL
- View
Sunset Cove Beach Resort
resort · 0.2 km from the centre★ 4.5 · 99360 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo - View
Rentals at Mariner's Club Key Largo
resort · 3.2 km from the centre★ 4.5 · 97501 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo - View
Gilbert's Resort & Marina
resort · 11 km from the centre★ 4.4 · Everglades National Park Outstanding Florida Water, 107900 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo - View
Browse places to stay
Key Largo, FL
Booking happens on the partner's site.
- Book Pennekamp's glass-bottom boat tour online in advance, especially in winter season.
- Fill up on gas in Florida City — stations thin out once you're deep in the Keys.
- No toll roads on this route, but Card Sound Road is a scenic free alternative to US-1.
- Robert Is Here+3 mi
Famous fruit stand near Florida City with legendary milkshakes and exotic fruit — a fun roadside stop.
- Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge+6 mi
Quiet, little-visited refuge near Key Largo good for birding and a peaceful walk.
Bridges and wildlife carry the day — tarpon at the docks by late morning, the ocean-spanning Seven Mile Bridge by dusk.
The bridge comes into view right as you leave Marathon proper — impossible to miss.
Overnight in Marathon, FL
- View
Marlin Bay Resort & Marina
resort · 0.8 km from the centre★ 4.8 · 3800 Gulfview Ave, Marathon - View
Seascape Resort & Marina
resort · 4.0 km from the centre★ 4.7 · 1275 76 St, Marathon - View
Tranquility Bay Beachfront Resort
resort · 0.3 km from the centre★ 4.6 · 2600 Overseas Hwy, Marathon - View
Browse places to stay
Marathon, FL
Booking happens on the partner's site.
- Marathon hotels along US-1 have their own parking — no restricted zones to worry about.
- Fuel up before Seven Mile Bridge — no stations on the bridge itself.
- Anne's Beach and Robbie's Marina are both free/cheap easy stops, good for stretching legs.
- Curry Hammock State Park+5 mi
Uncrowded beach and mangrove trails, good for kite-surfers and a quiet nature walk.
- Sombrero Beach+3 mi
Local favorite beach in Marathon with calm water and picnic areas, less crowded than Keys hotspots.
Deer at dawn, then the road runs out at the Southernmost Point — you end the trip with your feet in the sand.
Just a short drive from the buoy to the park's entrance at the island's western edge.
- Key West's Old Town has limited parking — many hotels offer free lots, check before booking.
- Mallory Square gets busy at sunset — Fort Zachary Taylor is a calmer beach alternative.
- Key Deer Refuge roads have low speed limits strictly enforced — go slow.
- Bahia Honda State Park+2 mi
Some of the best beaches in the Keys with turquoise water, right along the route before Key West.
- Blue Hole+1 mi
A former quarry turned freshwater pond where alligators sometimes appear, an easy stop in the Key Deer Refuge area.
This route was drafted with AI. Please double-check roads, opening hours and local conditions before you go.
Questions, answered
- How long does it take to drive the Overseas Highway?
- About three and a half hours non-stop from Miami to Key West, and a full day if you stop the way you should. Traffic on a winter weekend, or roadworks on one of the bridges, can add an hour with no warning and no way around it.
- When is the best time for a Florida Keys road trip?
- March to May, and November into early December: warm water, dry weather, and prices below the winter peak. Hurricane season runs June to November with the real risk concentrated in August to October, and January to March is the busiest and most expensive stretch of the year.
- Where should I stop between Miami and Key West?
- Bahia Honda State Park for the best beach on the chain, the Seven Mile Bridge for the drive itself, Islamorada for the fishing towns, and Big Pine Key for the Key deer, which are the size of a large dog and wander onto the road at dusk.
- Do I need to book accommodation in the Keys?
- Yes. The islands are narrow, the room count is fixed, and Key West sells out weeks ahead in the winter season and on any holiday weekend. Camping at Bahia Honda opens 11 months in advance and goes almost immediately.
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