Marathon
The Middle Keys city named for a race to finish a railroad.
- Population
- 9,689 (2020 census)
- Incorporated
- 1999
- Boot Key Harbor
- Entirely inside the city
- Tides
- Two highs, two lows a day
Then
- 1900s
Florida East Coast Railway crews racing to finish the Overseas Railroad complain that “this is getting to be a real marathon.” The name sticks to the station.
- 1999
Marathon incorporates as a city.
- 2017
Hurricane Irma makes landfall in the Keys on September 10. Air National Guard planes land every two hours in the days after.
Now
Marathon runs from the east end of the Seven Mile Bridge across Key Vaca and neighboring keys. Boot Key Harbor, between Boot Key and Key Vaca, is one of the Keys' main anchorages.
The Turtle Hospital rescues and releases injured sea turtles. Key Colony Beach, a separate small city, sits within Marathon's bounds.
On the water
From NOAA's predictions for Vaca Key, USCG Station, Florida Bay, FL over the next 353 days. Heights are in feet above mean lower low water (MLLW).
- Pattern
- Two highs and two lows a day, close in size
- Typical daily range
- 0.9 ft
- Biggest swing
- 1.5 ft on Oct 29
- Smallest swing
- 0.3 ft on Nov 4
- Highest high
- 1.6 ft, Oct 30 at 3:54 AM
- Lowest low
- −0.6 ft, Mar 13 at 10:36 PM