One of the most significant waterways for boaters making America's Great Loop voyage is the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). Rather than being one continuous canal, it is a network of various water bodies such as rivers, bays, sounds, canals, etc. The mileage of the Intracoastal Waterway, according to NOAA, begins from Mile 0.0 in Norfolk, Virginia, and ends at Mile 1243.8 in Key West, Florida. The maintenance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway from Norfolk to Miami lies under the Norfolk District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. What Is the Intracoastal Waterway? ICW is not a single canal; rather, it consists of various canals. ICW miles have been used by the NOAA to mark location points in the ICW with Mile 0.0 in Norfolk and Mile 1243.8 at Key West. The design depth along sections of the federal project is different, but the dimensions of the federal project are not always real-time controlling depths. According to NOAA, the federal project is providing 12 feet from Norfolk t...

The Atlantic Coast is among the most diverse navigation segments on the Great Loop. Unlike other navigational routes that are open waters only, the Atlantic Coast has the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), sounds, bays, rivers, canals, and tidal waterways. The normal route for northbound traffic is the ICW route through Florida up to Norfolk, Virginia, and onward through the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay area, New Jersey, New York, and onto the Hudson River. Atlantic Coast Route Description The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway has a protected passage behind the Atlantic Coast. According to NOAA's 2026 U.S. Coast Pilot, the ICW is a toll-free waterway running over 1,243 statute miles from Norfolk, Virginia, to Key West, Florida. ICW mileage starts at Mile 0 from Norfolk to about Mile 1,243.8 at Key West. There are different segments and options in the ICW that boaters cannot take for granted. i-Boating's GPS Nautical Charts Great Loop  allows for interactive planning of the route...