MIAAirport Guide

Driving the Overseas Highway from MIA

MIA to the Florida Keys by car: the route, mile markers for Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon and Key West, picking up the car, and tolls in a rental.

The Overseas Highway in the Florida Keys
Overseas Highway

Take Florida’s Turnpike south to US 1 in Florida City, then drive about 22 miles to Key Largo. That’s the route the Keys’ official tourism office gives from MIA, and it puts the start of the Keys about an hour from Miami. Pick up the car at the Rental Car Center, one MIA Mover ride from the terminal. Once you reach the Keys, US 1 becomes the Overseas Highway, the main road through the islands all the way to Key West.

Where each part of the Keys sits on the road

Green mile markers count down from 127 near Florida City to 0 in Key West, and the Keys tourism office says locals use them as location references. For timing, the Keys Shuttle’s own timetable is a useful yardstick: its van leaves MIA at 11 a.m. and stops along the way.

Area Mile markers Keys Shuttle van from MIA at 11 a.m. arrives
Key Largo 108 to 90 About 12:15 p.m.
Islamorada 90 to 63 About 12:45 p.m.
Marathon 63 to 40 About 1:30 p.m.
Lower Keys, including Big Pine Key 40 to 4 No time listed
Key West 4 to 0 About 3 p.m.

Driving yourself, you set off later than the van, once bags, the Mover and the rental counter are done. The tourism office warns that traffic builds at peak travel times, though it gives no figure for how much time to add.

The car is one train ride from the terminal

From baggage claim in any terminal, go up to Level 3 and follow the signs to the MIA Mover, between the Dolphin and Flamingo garages. The free train runs about every three minutes to the Rental Car Center. MIA lists the center as open around the clock, but some operators close between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., so a late landing needs a company that stays open. Our guide to renting a car at MIA shows which companies are inside the center.

Florida’s Turnpike in Miami-Dade County collects tolls only electronically, by SunPass or TOLL-BY-PLATE, and you don’t stop to pay. TOLL-BY-PLATE isn’t available to rental-car customers, so sort tolls out at the rental desk and ask about charging them to the credit card you rented with. Our rental-car toll guide covers the service fees to ask about and when your own SunPass may help.

Would rather not drive? Take the shuttle or a bus

The Keys Shuttle runs door-to-door vans from MIA to Key Largo, Tavernier, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine, Summerland and Key West. Vans leave MIA at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., and every ride needs a reservation. Our MIA to Key West guide sets the van and the coach beside American’s nonstop flight. FlixBus coaches to Key West leave from the bus bays at the Miami Intermodal Center, one MIA Mover ride from the terminal.

Sources