It may have been named for the Joewood or Cudjoe wood tree (Jacquinia keyensis) which grows on the island.

[6][7] The United States Army activated Cudjoe Key Air Force Station in 1959 to track missiles traveling through the Eglin Gulf Test Range.

On April 20, 2007, a Cessna 182 crashed after its left wing struck the tether anchoring "Fat Albert".

[10][11] The aerostat is marked on air navigation charts inside a restricted area that contains the warning, "Caution: Unmarked balloon on cable to 14,000 [feet]."

[1] The water area includes Cudjoe Bay to the south of the island, a portion of Kemp Channel to the east, and tidal water to the northwest between Cudjoe Key and small islands known as the Rattlesnake Lumps.

21.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.