2.
Key West is home to North America's only living coral reef.
3.
By the late 1800s, Key West was the richest city in the country thanks to the infamous "wreckers" that pillaged ships foundered on the reefs surrounding the island.
4.
Key West attracts more than 650,000 gay and lesbian travelers each year.
5.
Key Limes are also known as Mexican limes or West Indian limes. They are smaller and more yellow in color than the limes you buy in the grocery store. They grow on thorny trees and are very cold sensitive. Key Limes were an important crop in Florida until 1926 when a hurricane destroyed the groves. Due to the difficulty and cost of raising them, these groves were replanted with conventional limes, which are cheaper and easier to grow. However, many Key Lime trees survive in people's backyards and Key Lime pie is still a favorite treat around the island.
6.
Key West has been home to seven Pulitzer Prize-winning writers including Tennessee Williams and Ernest Hemingway.
7.
Within Key West's 190-block historical area there are 2,580 structures. This contains the greatest concentration of wooden buildings in the state of Florida. The buildings date from 1886 to 1912.
8.
Ponce de Leon discovered the island in 1513. He called it Cayo Hueso (Isle of Bones) because it was littered with remains from an Indian battlefield or burial ground. The name "Key West" is the English version of the Spanish term.
9.
Key West is the southern-most city in the continental United States. It is located 90 miles north of Cuba and 150 miles southwest of Miami.
10.
Key West locals are referred to as "conchs" (said "conks") since they, like seashells, reside close to the water.
