The Florida Keys point toward Cuba
Key West sits at the end of a long chain of low islands that curves southwest from Florida. Miami, by contrast, is farther north and east on the mainland. Havana lies across the Florida Straits to the southwest, so the open-water gap from Key West to Cuba’s capital is shorter than the distance back to Miami in a straight line.
That comparison is about geography, not a typical trip. The two cities are separated by water, and a map’s direct line does not describe an ordinary road journey. Getting from Key West to Miami means traveling north through the Keys and across the bridges that connect them to the mainland; reaching Havana involves crossing an international strait.
A map can make the nearest place feel far away
Key West’s position gives it a distinctly Caribbean-facing geography: Cuba is nearby across the sea, while Florida’s largest city is up the island chain. The short distance helps explain why maps of the region can look surprising—but proximity alone does not make Havana the easier destination to reach.
