Key Vaca
Encyclopedia
Key Vaca is an island in the middle Florida Keys
, located entirely within the borders of the city of Marathon, Florida
. It is often incorrectly identified as "Marathon Key."
and Knight's Key
. Key Vaca is also connected via bridge to Boot Key
and comprises most of the north shore of Boot Key Harbor
.
. The 1957 book The Florida Keys indicates that the island's name comes from wild cattle that used to live on the island. Evidence of these cattle has never been found. The name may also refer to manatees, "sea cows" that thrived in the area prior to the 1950s.
Because it lies completely within the borders of Marathon
, the island is often incorrectly referred to as "Marathon Key."
. Because of the proximity of the Gulf Stream
to the southeast, and the tempering effects of the Gulf of Mexico
to the west and north, Key Vaca has a notably mild, tropical-maritime climate
, (Koppen climate classification
Aw, similar to the Caribbean
islands). Cold fronts are strongly modified by the warm water as they move in from the north in winter. The average low and high temperatures in January are 58°F/77°F.
In the summer, temperatures are somewhat higher than in Key West
, due to the island's proximity to the shallower waters of Florida Bay
, which are heated more easily than the deeper waters of the Florida Strait, south of Key West. The season is characterized by hot, humid conditions and sharp, sudden thunderstorms that often drop substantial amounts of rain on the island. Hurricanes are a common threat during the summer, and sometimes affect the island directly, as was the case with the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Donna
in 1960. The average low and high temperatures in August are 79°F/89°F, with temperatures sometimes approaching the century mark.
, also known as the Overseas Highway
, crosses the key at approximately mile markers 47.5-53.5. Prior to the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
, Key Vaca was a major rail stop along the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway
. It was home to a turnaround wye and several machine and repair shops. During the Great Depression and the construction of the Overseas Highway
, Key Vaca was home to Camp No. 10, a home for several hundred World War I
veterans working on the project.
Key Vaca is accessible by water, primarily through Boot Key Harbor, which lies on the south side of the island. Due to the shallow waters of the harbor, deep-draft ships cannot be unloaded there. Between 1906 and 1912, Key Vaca functioned as a temporary deep-water port with the addition of the Knight's Key Trestle three miles to the west of the island. Built in order to provide a supply line for the growing Overseas Railroad, the trestle was dismantled and burnt when the railroad was completed.
During World War II
, Key Vaca gained an airport. Originally intended to be a training field for pilots flying between Homestead
and Miami, the airport was turned over to the county after the conclusion of the war.
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
, located entirely within the borders of the city of Marathon, Florida
Marathon, Florida
Marathon is a city on Knight's Key, Boot Key, Key Vaca, Fat Deer Key, Long Point Key, Crawl Key and Grassy Key islands in the middle Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 10,255. As of 2005, the population estimated...
. It is often incorrectly identified as "Marathon Key."
Geography
Key Vaca is located between Fat Deer KeyFat Deer Key
Fat Deer Key is an island in the middle Florida Keys.U.S. 1 crosses the key at approximately mile markers 53.5-56, between Long Point Key and Key Vaca....
and Knight's Key
Knight's Key
Knight's Key is an island in the middle Florida Keys, located entirely within the borders of the city of Marathon, Florida.-Geography:U.S. 1 crosses the key at approximately mile marker 47, at the western end of Key Vaca and eastern end of the Seven Mile Bridge.-History:Prior to the completion of...
. Key Vaca is also connected via bridge to Boot Key
Boot Key
Boot Key is an island in the middle Florida Keys located adjacent to Key Vaca. Boot Key is within the city limits of Marathon, Florida, USA. The island is largely undeveloped despite having a bridge spanning Boot Key Harbor to Key Vaca, which is now closed to pedestrian and vehicular...
and comprises most of the north shore of Boot Key Harbor
Boot Key Harbor
Boot Key Harbor is a natural body of water located in the middle of the Florida Keys, entirely within the city limits of Marathon, Florida, USA....
.
Nomenclature
Various theories as to the origin of the name exist. The most likely example is that the island was named after Alavar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, who wrote a detailed account of the 16th Century exploration of Florida. Other theories revolve around the word Vaca, meaning "cow" in SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. The 1957 book The Florida Keys indicates that the island's name comes from wild cattle that used to live on the island. Evidence of these cattle has never been found. The name may also refer to manatees, "sea cows" that thrived in the area prior to the 1950s.
Because it lies completely within the borders of Marathon
Marathon, Florida
Marathon is a city on Knight's Key, Boot Key, Key Vaca, Fat Deer Key, Long Point Key, Crawl Key and Grassy Key islands in the middle Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 10,255. As of 2005, the population estimated...
, the island is often incorrectly referred to as "Marathon Key."
Climate
Key Vaca is located at 24.718N, -81.069W, geographically in the subtropics, but with an entirely tropical climateTropical climate
A tropical climate is a climate of the tropics. In the Köppen climate classification it is a non-arid climate in which all twelve months have mean temperatures above...
. Because of the proximity of the Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
to the southeast, and the tempering effects of the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
to the west and north, Key Vaca has a notably mild, tropical-maritime climate
Tropical climate
A tropical climate is a climate of the tropics. In the Köppen climate classification it is a non-arid climate in which all twelve months have mean temperatures above...
, (Koppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Aw, similar to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
islands). Cold fronts are strongly modified by the warm water as they move in from the north in winter. The average low and high temperatures in January are 58°F/77°F.
In the summer, temperatures are somewhat higher than in Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
, due to the island's proximity to the shallower waters of Florida Bay
Florida Bay
Florida Bay is the bay located between the southern end of the Florida mainland and the Florida Keys. Its area is variously stated to be , or , or . Nearly all of Florida Bay is included in Everglades National Park. The southern edge, along the Florida Keys is in the Florida Keys National Marine...
, which are heated more easily than the deeper waters of the Florida Strait, south of Key West. The season is characterized by hot, humid conditions and sharp, sudden thunderstorms that often drop substantial amounts of rain on the island. Hurricanes are a common threat during the summer, and sometimes affect the island directly, as was the case with the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Donna
Hurricane Donna
Hurricane Donna in the 1960 Atlantic hurricane season was a Cape Verde-type hurricane which moved across the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispanola, Cuba, The Bahamas, and every state on the East Coast of the United States...
in 1960. The average low and high temperatures in August are 79°F/89°F, with temperatures sometimes approaching the century mark.
Transportation
U.S. 1U.S. Route 1 in Florida
U.S. Route 1 in Florida runs along the state's east coast from Key West to its crossing of the St. Marys River into Georgia north of Boulogne, and south of Folkston. US 1 was designated through Florida when the U.S. Highway System was established in 1926.US 1 runs in the state of Florida, and...
, also known as the Overseas Highway
Overseas Highway
The Overseas Highway is a highway carrying U.S. Route 1 through the Florida Keys. 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 Railway. Completed in 1912, the Overseas Railroad was heavily damaged and partially...
, crosses the key at approximately mile markers 47.5-53.5. Prior to the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane was the strongest tropical cyclone of the 1935 Atlantic hurricane season, and one of the most intense hurricanes to make landfall in the United States in recorded history...
, Key Vaca was a major rail stop along the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway
Florida East Coast Railway
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
. It was home to a turnaround wye and several machine and repair shops. During the Great Depression and the construction of the Overseas Highway
Overseas Highway
The Overseas Highway is a highway carrying U.S. Route 1 through the Florida Keys. 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 Railway. Completed in 1912, the Overseas Railroad was heavily damaged and partially...
, Key Vaca was home to Camp No. 10, a home for several hundred World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
veterans working on the project.
Key Vaca is accessible by water, primarily through Boot Key Harbor, which lies on the south side of the island. Due to the shallow waters of the harbor, deep-draft ships cannot be unloaded there. Between 1906 and 1912, Key Vaca functioned as a temporary deep-water port with the addition of the Knight's Key Trestle three miles to the west of the island. Built in order to provide a supply line for the growing Overseas Railroad, the trestle was dismantled and burnt when the railroad was completed.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Key Vaca gained an airport. Originally intended to be a training field for pilots flying between Homestead
Homestead, Florida
Homestead is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States nestled between Biscayne National Park to the east and Everglades National Park to the west. Homestead is primarily a Miami suburb and a major agricultural area....
and Miami, the airport was turned over to the county after the conclusion of the war.