| Key West National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
.jpg) Coastal vegetation in the refuge | |
  | |
| Location | Monroe County, Florida, United States |
| Nearest city | Key West, Florida |
| Coordinates | 24°34′09″N 82°06′55″W / 24.569294°N 82.11525°W |
| Area | 189,497 acres (766.867 km2) |
| Established | 1908 |
| Visitors | 180,000 (estimated) (in 2004) |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Key West National Wildlife Refuge |
The Key West National Wildlife Refuge is a 189,497 acre (766.867 km2) National Wildlife Refuge located in Monroe County, Florida, between Key West, Florida and the Dry Tortugas . Only 2,019 acres (8.171 km2) of land are above sea level, on several keys within the refuge. These keys are unpopulated and are also designated as Wilderness within the Florida Keys Wilderness. The refuge was established to provide a preserve and breeding ground for native birds and other wildlife as well as to provide habitat and protection for endangered and threatened fish, wildlife, plants and migratory birds.
In addition to the 189,497 acres (767 km2) of land owned by the refuge, the refuge maintains 154 acres (.623 km2) for the United States Coast Guard and 206,289 acres (834.822 km2) of marine waters in conjunction with the state of Florida.
The refuge is one of three refuges administered by the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key in Florida. Although Key West NWR is unstaffed, the National Key Deer Refuge has a combined staff of 13 with a fiscal year 2005 budget of $1,041,000.