Miami to Key West is about 254 km (158 mi) by road from Miami International Airport, roughly four hours without stops, and about 269 km (167 mi) from South Beach. With Elly8.net, a one-way private car between any Miami address and Key West is quoted as a fixed, all-in price per vehicle in the web booker, in every class from a business sedan to a 12-seat Executive Sprinter. If you want the Keys without staying the night, the fixed 10-hour Miami to Islamorada day trip runs from US$920 in a business sedan to US$1,840 in an Executive Sprinter.
Rides in Key West are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk, and the same model applies in Miami. The trip is one of the great drives in North America, and the right way to make it depends on the size of your group, your luggage, your budget and how much of the road you want to see. This guide covers the route, the stops, the timing, and an honest comparison of a private car, a shuttle, public buses and driving yourself.
How long does it take to get from Miami to Key West?
From Miami International Airport, Key West is about 158 mi (254 km), roughly four hours on a clear road without stops. From South Beach, allow a little longer. Most travellers stop at least once, in Islamorada or Marathon, so a relaxed trip takes five to six hours door to door.
The road time is fixed by geography: there is one highway through the Keys. Traffic can build at peak travel times, according to the official Florida Keys tourism council, so plan ahead and allow extra time on Friday afternoons, holiday weekends and festival weeks.
See Key West prices and reserve
The route, in mile markers
The tourism council describes the standard route: from Miami International, take Florida's Turnpike south to US 1 in Florida City, then continue about 22 miles to Key Largo. Once in the Keys, US 1 becomes the Overseas Highway, with green mile markers counting down from 127 near Florida City to 0 in Key West. The Overseas Highway runs 113 miles, crosses 42 bridges and is designated an All-American Road, the highest recognition under the National Scenic Byways program.
Locals give directions by mile marker (MM), and so do chauffeurs. The routed distances below are from Miami International on a clear road:
| Area | Mile markers | From MIA by road | Clear-road time from MIA | Worth a stop for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key Largo | MM 108 to 90 | about 61 mi (98 km) | about 1 h 30 min | John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park |
| Islamorada | MM 90 to 63 | about 77 mi (124 km) | about 2 h | Lunch on the water, sport fishing, galleries |
| Marathon | MM 63 to 40 | about 110 mi (178 km) | about 2 h 45 min | Seven Mile Bridge, the Old Seven Mile Bridge walk, the Turtle Hospital |
| Lower Keys | MM 40 to 4 | Bahia Honda at about MM 37 | about 3 h | Bahia Honda State Park and its beaches |
| Key West | MM 4 to 0 | about 158 mi (254 km) | about 4 h | Old Town, Duval Street, sunset at Mallory Square |
Where to stop on the way
Key Largo. The first of the Keys, and home to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park at 102601 Overseas Highway, open 8 a.m. until sunset with an entry fee of US$8 per vehicle plus 50 cents per person. During construction this year, one of the two boat ramps is closed and boat trailer parking is reduced, so check the park page before a boating stop.
Islamorada. A village of six islands between Key Largo and Marathon, known as the Sport Fishing Capital of the World, as the Islamorada visitor page puts it. It is the natural lunch stop on a Miami departure and the turnaround for the Miami day trip.
Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge. Marathon covers the middle Keys from Long Key to the Seven Mile Bridge, around MM 47 to 61, and the Marathon visitor page points to the Turtle Hospital, Crane Point's trails and a walk on the Old Seven Mile Bridge. Crossing the modern Seven Mile Bridge is a highlight of the whole drive.
Bahia Honda. Bahia Honda State Park in the Lower Keys has some of the best-known beaches in the chain, and the park warns that it may close temporarily when its day-use areas reach capacity. Arrive early on weekends and holidays, and bring shade.
When to leave
For a southbound trip, a mid-morning departure from Miami avoids the worst of the city's rush hour, allows a long lunch in Islamorada and a stop in Marathon, and still reaches Key West in time for sunset at Mallory Square. For a northbound trip, leaving Key West after breakfast reaches Miami in the afternoon. If you are catching a flight out of MIA or a cruise from PortMiami, leave a generous buffer: one road means one incident can slow everything, and the desk sets pickup times with that in mind.
Option 1: a private car with a chauffeur
What it costs. A one-way Miami to Key West private car is priced to your exact pickup and drop-off in the web booker, as a fixed, all-in fare per vehicle. The fare includes the chauffeur, the vehicle, taxes and standard gratuity. Tolls, parking and waiting beyond the included time are billed at cost; the Turnpike section is tolled, as described below. For reference, Miami's published hourly rate runs from US$100 an hour in a business sedan to US$200 in an Executive Sprinter, with a 3-hour minimum.
What you get. Door to door, from a Miami hotel, home, the airport or the cruise terminal to your Key West hotel or guesthouse, with stops wherever you want them. Nobody in the group drives four hours, the luggage rides with you, and children travel in child seats fitted on request. For groups, an Executive Sprinter seats 12 with 12 bags, one fare for the vehicle.
The day-trip version. If you want the Keys without moving hotels, the Miami signature day trip is 10 hours down the Overseas Highway to Islamorada and back: US$920 in a business sedan, US$1,150 in a business SUV, US$1,380 in a first class SUV, US$1,475 in a first class sedan and US$1,840 in an Executive Sprinter. The Miami car service page has the full Miami price list.
Once you arrive. In Key West itself, EYW to Old Town runs from US$130 in a business sedan, and the full-day chauffeur from US$740. See our city to city car service page for how long-distance trips are planned.
Option 2: a shuttle
Scheduled shuttles and coaches run between South Florida and the Keys, and the tourism council lists airport shuttles, scheduled buses, private transfers and charter transportation among the ways to reach the Keys. Fares are set by each operator and are per seat.
Strengths. For one or two travellers with standard luggage, a shared shuttle or scheduled coach is usually the cheapest way to make the trip without driving.
Limits. You travel on the operator's schedule, pick up and drop off at set points or in a window, share the vehicle with other passengers, and follow the operator's luggage rules. Stops along the way are the operator's, not yours. For families with car seats, groups, dive or fishing gear, or anyone with a timeline, a shared vehicle is harder work. Our chauffeur vs shared airport shuttle page compares the models.
Option 3: driving yourself
Strengths. Total freedom over stops and timing, and for a week in the Keys with day trips, a rental car can cost less overall than any chauffeured option.
What to know. Florida's Turnpike Extension and Card Sound Road use cashless electronic tolling, with tolls collected through SunPass, compatible transponders or Toll-By-Plate, according to the tourism council; check how your rental company bills tolls. The drive itself is about four hours of two-lane highway and bridges, often after a flight. And in Key West, Old Town is compact and parking is limited: the tourism council points visitors to the city's Park and Ride garage and car-free options, because Old Town is one of the easiest places in the Keys to explore without a car. If the car will sit at the hotel for most of the stay, that matters. Our chauffeur vs renting a car page sets out the trade-offs.
Option 4: public buses, in stages
There is a public bus at the Key West end. The city's Lower Keys Shuttle runs between Key West and Marathon several times a day, about an hour and a half end to end on the current city schedule, for the Keys fare of US$4 one way listed on the city's bus fares page. Reaching Miami by public transport means further connections north of Marathon and most of a day. It is the cheapest way to travel and realistic only for light travellers with time to spare.
Other ways in: flying and the ferry
Some travellers skip the drive. Key West International (EYW) has flights from a number of US cities, and a high-speed passenger ferry runs from Southwest Florida to the Key West Bight terminal in the Historic Seaport, according to the tourism council, so it sails from Southwest Florida rather than from Miami. If you fly into EYW, the Key West airport car service guide explains the arrival, and the Key West taxi vs Uber vs private car guide covers getting around once you are there.
The options side by side
| Option | Cost basis | Door to door | Stops | Luggage and seats | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elly8.net private car | Fixed fare per vehicle, quoted in the web booker | Yes | Yours | Sedan to 12-seat Sprinter, child seats on request | Families, groups, honeymoons, fixed timelines |
| Elly8.net Islamorada day trip | US$920 sedan to US$1,840 Sprinter | Yes, from Miami and back | Yours, within 10 hours | Same | Seeing the Keys without moving hotels |
| Shuttle or coach | Per seat, set by the operator | Usually set points | The operator's | Operator's luggage rules | Solo travellers, couples on a budget |
| Driving yourself | Rental, fuel, cashless tolls, parking | Yes | Yours | Your car | Week-long Keys trips with day trips |
| Public bus in stages | US$4 Keys fare on the Lower Keys Shuttle, plus other legs | No | None | Light bags only | Very light, flexible travellers |
Honest verdicts
- Solo traveller or couple, light bags, flexible: a shuttle or coach is the economical choice.
- Couple or family staying a week and exploring the Keys: a rental car usually makes sense, though some families book a chauffeur for the long first drive and pick up a car later.
- Family with young children, or a group of four to twelve: a private car or Sprinter, door to door, with child seats fitted and stops where you want them. Divided across a group, a single vehicle fare often compares well with several shuttle seats.
- Honeymoons, milestone trips and wedding guests: a private car, because the drive is part of the trip.
- A day in the Keys from Miami: the 10-hour Islamorada day trip.
Booking the drive
- Enter your Miami pickup and Key West address in the web booker, or the reverse.
- Choose the vehicle by passengers and bags, and add any stops you have in mind.
- Confirm and pay. Confirmation arrives by email, and your chauffeur's details follow before pickup.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup, 10% at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less, and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show, refunded to the original card. Elly8.net also serves Fort Lauderdale, Naples, Florida and Palm Beach, each with fixed prices.
Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory; for flights and hotels, our travel partner is BookingWorldwide.net.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Miami from Key West by car?
About 158 mi (254 km) from Miami International Airport, roughly four hours on a clear road without stops, and about 167 mi from South Beach. The route follows Florida's Turnpike to US 1 at Florida City, then the 113-mile Overseas Highway, which crosses 42 bridges to Key West.
How much is a private car from Miami to Key West?
Elly8.net quotes the one-way trip as a fixed, all-in price per vehicle in the web booker, for your exact pickup and drop-off, in every vehicle class. Tolls are billed at cost. If you want to see the Keys and return the same day, the 10-hour Islamorada day trip from Miami runs from US$920 in a business sedan.
Where is the best place to stop between Miami and Key West?
Islamorada, about two hours from Miami International, is the classic lunch stop. Marathon, with the Seven Mile Bridge and the Old Seven Mile Bridge walk, is a good second stop. Key Largo has a coral reef state park, and Bahia Honda in the Lower Keys has well-known beaches but can close temporarily at capacity.
Are there tolls on the drive to Key West?
On the usual route, yes. Florida's Turnpike Extension and the alternative Card Sound Road use cashless electronic tolls, paid by SunPass, a compatible transponder or Toll-By-Plate. The Overseas Highway itself is the main road through the Keys. On an Elly8.net booking, tolls are billed at cost.
Is it cheaper to take a shuttle to Key West?
For one or two travellers, usually yes, because shuttles and coaches charge per seat. For a family or a group, a single private vehicle priced per vehicle can compare well with several seats, and it adds door-to-door service, your own stops, child seats and room for luggage.
Can a chauffeur stop along the way?
Yes. Add the stops you want when you book, such as lunch in Islamorada or a walk on the Old Seven Mile Bridge in Marathon, and the chauffeur builds them into the drive. Longer stops are best planned in advance so the timing and any waiting are set out on your booking.
