Top Driving Routes from Miami Beach to Key West

The basic geography

Miami Beach to Key West is 165 miles on US-1, otherwise known as the Overseas Highway. The drive takes 3.5 hours without stops and is one of the most photographed stretches of road in the United States — 42 bridges, including the Seven Mile Bridge, all on a two-lane highway over the Atlantic on one side and Florida Bay on the other.

When to leave

Leave Miami Beach by 7 AM if you want to be in Key West for sunset, with time to stop. Sunset in winter is around 5:30 PM; in summer, 8 PM. The drive back is always longer than the drive out — plan accordingly.

Stops worth making

• Key Largo (Mile Marker 105) — first proper Keys town. Stop at Mrs. Mac's Kitchen for breakfast or pull into the Pilot House marina for coffee with a tarpon view.
• Islamorada (MM 85) — second island, art galleries, Robbie's tarpon-feeding dock. Founder's Park is a clean place to walk the car around.
• Marathon (MM 50) — halfway. Sombrero Beach is the only proper Atlantic-facing beach on the way down.
• Bahia Honda State Park (MM 37) — best beach in the Keys, full stop. Worth the $9 entry fee.
• Seven Mile Bridge (MM 47–40) — the headline. Old Bridge runs parallel and is open for walking; pull off in Marathon for the photo.
• Mile Marker 0 (Key West) — Whitehead and Fleming Streets, the official end of US-1.

What car to take

Convertibles win here. The Huracán Spyder, 488 Spider, Continental GT Convertible, and 911 Turbo S Cabriolet are our most-requested for this trip. Bring sunscreen, water, and reading glasses for the maps — phone signal drops between Marathon and Big Pine Key.

Practical notes

A 165-mile each-way trip plus driving around Key West (~25 miles) lands at roughly 360 miles. With 100 included miles per day, you will incur overage; ask us to prepay miles at $3 per mile to lock in the cheaper rate.

The sunset rule

If you want sunset at Mallory Square in Key West, plan to be parked by 5:00 PM in winter, 7:30 PM in summer. Parking is the bottleneck, not driving time.