Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, occupying the final island at the western end of the Florida Keys. It is the southernmost city in the continental United States and serves as the county seat for Monroe County, whose jurisdiction stretches across the entire Keys island chain. With roughly 25,000 residents, Key West is a compact, subtropical island community that has evolved from a rough-and-tumble maritime outpost into one of the country's most distinctive small cities. The island's history runs deep. In the 19th century, Key West grew wealthy on wrecking, salvaging cargo from ships grounded on the surrounding reefs, and later on cigar making and maritime commerce. Those industries drew settlers from Cuba and the Bahamas, whose influence remains woven into the city's food, music, and architecture. The result is a place that feels more Caribbean than mainland Florida, with a strong sense of independence and a famously relaxed culture. That character is most visible in Old Town, the city's historic core. The roughly 4,000-acre Key West Historic District holds one of the largest collections of wooden buildings in the United States, including conch-style cottages and Victorian frame houses, many dating to the 1800s. Wandering its lanes, visitors pass galleries, historic churches, and the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, where the author lived and wrote during the 1930s. Tourism now anchors Key West's economy, drawn by the island's architecture, waterfront, and year-round subtropical climate. Mallory Square's nightly sunset celebration and Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, built before the Civil War, are among its most visited landmarks. The island is connected to the mainland by the Overseas Highway (U.S. Route 1) and served by Key West International Airport. Students attend the Monroe County School District, headquartered in the city, with the College of the Florida Keys offering a local campus for higher education. For those who stay, Key West offers a walkable, tightly knit community defined by the sea.