Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Monroe County includes the islands of the Florida Keys. Its county seat is Key West, Florida. Monroe County was created in 1823 and was named for James Monroe, the fifth President of the US. All the County population lives in the island chain, the Florida Keys. Monroe County has a total area of approximately 3,737 square miles of which 27% is land and 73% water. As of the 2000 census, there were79,589 people, 35,086 households, and 20,384 families residing in Monroe County, FL.