The longest North to South road that leads to paradise
Today we take you to where it all begins, or perhaps where it all ends… you decide. Whether you have been to Key West or are planning a trip there you have heard of the most quintessential attractions: the Southernmost Point, Duval St, the Hemingway House, Mallory Square, and of course the Mile Marker 0. Located on the corner of Whitehead and Fleming – the Mile Marker 0 is home to some fun stops.
Mile Marker 0 is the last stop on US Route 1 stretching from Fort Kent, Maine (on the Canadian Border) to Key West, Florida…that’s wild right? It is the longest road from north to south in the United States of America clocking in at 2,369 miles from Maine to Florida! I have not had the luxury of driving the whole road and perhaps that’s another blog down the road (pun intended). But I have had the pleasure of exploring the Mile Marker 0 and all it has to offer.
History & Sticker Club
Route 1 was originally established in 1911 as an auto rail called the Atlantic Highway. When the New England road marking system was established in 1922 the highway was renamed to US Route 1. The Overseas Highway was completed from Miami to Key West in 1938 and soon became the southern extension of Route 1. It is one of the most popular spots in Key West to get a picture taken with hundreds to maybe even thousands taking a picture with the sign to say they were at Mile Marker 0.
We had a great day checking out the little gift shop and even got the green sign shirt and some stickers to let everyone who drives behind us know that we made it! It’s like in Vermont when you drive up Mount Washington and you get the “My car drove up Mount Washington” sticker. Make sure to check out the surrounding streets as we mentioned earlier Duval street is only a few blocks away. The Key West Aquarium, the Key West Shipwreck Museum, Hank’s Hair of the Dog Saloon, Sloppy Joe’s, several distilleries, breweries, and a whole lot more. You could easily carve out a day to explore and see what the area has to offer.
