When U.S. Army captain John Charles Casey surveyed the barrier island that would be named after him in the late 1840s, Casey Key was densely overgrown with tropical, Florida jungle. A hundred-eighty years later, it has become one of the most sought-after places of luxury real estate in the world.
Nearly eight miles long, Casey Key extends across from the southern tip of Siesta Key to the northern portion of the Venice Jetty like a narrow sliver. For long stretches, the island is less than 300 yards wide. The single thoroughfare, Casey Key Road, that runs the length of the key has no traffic lights and is lushly canopied in many places.