  Sands Key Sands Key  Sands Key Sands Key (North Atlantic) | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 25°30′00″N80°11′00″W / 25.500073°N 80.183415°W Coordinates: 25°30′00″N80°11′00″W / 25.500073°N 80.183415°W |
| Administration | |
| State | Florida |
| County | Miami-Dade |
Sands Key is an island north of the upper Florida Keys in Biscayne National Park. It is in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost portion of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about 15 miles (24 km) south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry Tortugas. The islands lie along the Florida Straits, dividing the Atlantic Ocean to the east from the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest, and defining one edge of Florida Bay. At the nearest point, the southern part of Key West is just 90 miles (140 km) from Cuba. The Florida Keys are between about 23.5 and 25.5 degrees North latitude.
Biscayne National Park is an American national park in southern Florida, south of Miami. The park preserves Biscayne Bay and its offshore barrier reefs. Ninety-five percent of the park is water, and the shore of the bay is the location of an extensive mangrove forest. The park covers 172,971 acres and includes Elliott Key, the park's largest island and first of the true Florida Keys, formed from fossilized coral reef. The islands farther north in the park are transitional islands of coral and sand. The offshore portion of the park includes the northernmost region of the Florida Reef, one of the largest coral reefs in the world.
Miami-Dade County is a county in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the southeasternmost county on the U.S. mainland. According to a 2017 census report, the county had a population of 2,751,796, making it the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most populous county in the United States. It is also Florida's third largest county in terms of land area, with 1,946 square miles (5,040 km2). The county seat is Miami, the principal city in South Florida.
It is located in lower Biscayne Bay, between Elliott Key and Boca Chita Key.
Biscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles (56 km) long and up to 8 miles (13 km) wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is 428 square miles (1,110 km2). The drainage basin covers 938 square miles (2,430 km2).
Elliott Key is the northernmost of the true Florida Keys, and the largest key north of Key Largo. It is located entirely within Biscayne National Park, in Miami-Dade County, Florida, east of Homestead, Florida. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Biscayne Bay to the west, Sands Key to the north and Old Rhodes Key to the south. Adams Key is just west of the southern end of Elliott Key. Elliott Key is about seven miles (11 km) long. Its maximum width is about 2,500 feet (760 m) near the north end and its average width is less than 2,000 feet (610 m). The higher elevations on the island range from 6 to 8 feet above sea level and occur generally along an unimproved road that runs longitudinally through the center of the island. The average elevation is about 3 feet (0.91 m) above sea level. The key is accessible only by boat. Elliott Key has a National Park Service campground, but is otherwise uninhabited.
Boca Chita Key is the island north of the upper Florida Keys in Biscayne National Park, Miami-Dade County, Florida.
