MIAAirport Guide

Miami airport to Key West: drive, bus or fly?

MIA to Key West: American's nonstop flight, the Keys Shuttle van, Greyhound or FlixBus coaches, or a rental car down the Overseas Highway.

The Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys
Seven Mile Bridge

American Airlines is the only airline flying nonstop between MIA and Key West. On the ground, the Keys Shuttle van runs from MIA to Key West three times a day. Rent a car if you want to stop in Key Largo, Islamorada or Marathon on the way, and take the shuttle or a coach if you won’t need a car once you’re there.

Four ways to get there, and who each one suits

Option Time Where it starts at MIA Best for
Fly, American Airlines Not published by either airport. Check American’s schedule. American’s gates in Concourses D and E Connecting straight off another American flight
Drive Depends on traffic. Mile markers count down from 127 near Florida City to 0 in Key West. The Rental Car Center, by MIA Mover Stopping in Key Largo, Islamorada or Marathon on the way
Keys Shuttle About 4 hours Baggage claim, Door 11, then the median Getting to your hotel door without driving
Greyhound or FlixBus Not published on either company’s route page Miami Intermodal Center bus bays, by MIA Mover A scheduled coach without booking a van

Flying on American’s nonstop

Key West International Airport’s airline page lists Miami among American’s nonstop routes, and no other airline there lists MIA. Neither airport publishes the flight time or a fare, so check American’s own schedule. American uses Concourses D and E at MIA. If you’re connecting from another American flight, stay airside and walk to the gate. Our guide to a short connection at MIA covers moving between concourses.

Keys Shuttle, Greyhound and FlixBus save you driving

Keys Shuttle vans carry up to twelve passengers door to door, and they stop in Key Largo, Islamorada and Marathon on the way down. They leave MIA at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. MIA also lists 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. hours for Keys Shuttle, but the vans leave MIA only at those three times.

Every ride needs a reservation, online or at (305) 289-9997. Give a cell number when you book, because the shuttle uses it to reach you after you land. To find the van, leave baggage claim on the ground level through Door 11, cross the taxi and private-vehicle lanes to the median, go through the corridor and turn left to the Keys Shuttle sign. Our Keys Shuttle page keeps the pickup route with a map link. Flying home from Key West instead? Return vans reach MIA at about 9:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Greyhound and FlixBus both sell Miami to Key West tickets and board at the shared bus bays at the Miami Intermodal Center, 3801 NW 21st Street. Take the free MIA Mover from the terminal’s Level 3 and follow the signs for the Greyhound and FlixBus bays. Neither route page lists a fare or travel time, so check when you book. The intercity bus page lists the other Florida cities these coaches reach from the same bays.

Driving means one road through the Keys

Pick up the car at the Rental Car Center. It’s open 24 hours, but some rental companies close their desks between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., so check yours if you land late. The Florida Keys tourism council’s route from MIA is Florida’s Turnpike south to U.S. 1 in Florida City, then about 22 miles to Key Largo. From there U.S. 1 is the Overseas Highway, the main road through the Keys and across 42 bridges. Our guide to driving the Overseas Highway from MIA gives distances and drive times to Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine Key and Key West.

  • Tolls. Turnpike tolls from Exit 1 to Exit 47 in Miami-Dade County are electronic only, by SunPass or TOLL-BY-PLATE, and TOLL-BY-PLATE isn’t available to rental-car customers. Ask the rental desk about charging tolls to the card you rented with. Our guide to tolls and SunPass in a rental car covers the fees to ask about.
  • Leaving your own car at MIA? If you fly or take the shuttle to Key West instead, our parking guide lists the garages and the cheaper Economy lot.
  • One-way rentals. If you’ll fly home from Key West, ask the rental company about a one-way drop fee before you sign.

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