Honolulu is the westernmost and southernmost major U.S. city as well as the westernmost and southernmost U.S. state capital. It is a major hub for business, commercial, finance, hospitality, and military defense in both the state andOceania.[11][12] The city is characterized by a mix of variousAsian,Western, andPacific cultures, reflected in its diverse demography, cuisine, and traditions. Honolulu's favorable tropical climate, rich natural scenery, and extensive beaches make it a popular global destination for tourists. With nearly 1.5 million visitors in 2024, Honolulu is among the ten most visited cities in the United States.[13]
Honolulu isHawaiian for "sheltered harbor"[14] or "calm port";[15] the former meaning is also reflected in therelatedMāoricognate toponymWhangaruru in the tip of New Zealand'sNorth Island.[16][17] Its old name,Kou, roughly encompasses the area from Nuʻuanu Avenue to Alakea Street and from Hotel Street to Queen Street, which is the heart of the present downtown district.[18]
Evidence of the first settlement of Honolulu by the originalPolynesian migrants to the archipelago comes from oral histories and artifacts. These indicate that there was a settlement where Honolulu now stands in the 11th century.[19][unreliable source?] AfterKamehameha I conquered Oʻahu in theBattle of Nuʻuanu atNuʻuanu Pali, he moved his royal court from theIsland of Hawaiʻi toWaikiki in 1804. His court relocated in 1809 to what is nowdowntown Honolulu. The capital was moved back toKailua-Kona in 1812.
In November 1794, CaptainWilliam Brown of Great Britain was the first foreigner to sail into what is nowHonolulu Harbor.[20] More foreign ships followed, making the port of Honolulu a focal point for merchant ships traveling between North America and Asia. The settlement grew from a handful of homes to a city in the early 19th century afterKamehameha I chose it as a replacement for his residence at Waikiki in 1810.[21]
In 1845,Kamehameha III moved the permanent capital of theHawaiian Kingdom fromLahaina onMaui to Honolulu.[21] He and the kings who followed him transformed Honolulu into a modern capital, erecting buildings such asSt. Andrew's Cathedral,ʻIolani Palace, andAliʻiōlani Hale. At the same time, Honolulu became the islands' center of commerce, with descendants of American missionaries establishing major businesses downtown.[22]
Despite the turbulent history of the late 19th century and early 20th century—such as theoverthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, Hawaii's annexation by the U.S. in 1898, alarge fire in 1900, and the Japaneseattack on Pearl Harbor in 1941—Honolulu remained the Hawaiian Islands' capital, largest city, and main airport and seaport.[23]
An economic and tourism boom following statehood brought rapid economic growth to Honolulu and Hawaii. Modern air travel brings, as of 2007[update], 7.6 million visitors annually to the islands, with 62.3% entering atHonolulu International Airport.[24] Today, Honolulu is a modern city with numerous high-rise buildings, and Waikiki is the center of the tourism industry in Hawaii, with thousands of hotel rooms. It was referenced in Kid Cudi's 2008 track 'Maui Wowie' in the chorus where he states 'goin back to Honolulu just to get that, that Maui Wowie, that Maui Wowie'.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the Urban Honolulu CDP has an area of 68.4 square miles (177.2 km2), of which 7.9 square miles (20.5 km2), or 11.56%, is water.[25]
Honolulu is the most remote major U.S. city and one of the most isolated major cities in the world.[26] The closest location in mainland U.S. is thePoint Arena Lighthouse in northernCalifornia, at 2,045 nautical miles (3,787 km).[27] (Nautical vessels require some additional distance to circumnavigateMakapuʻu Point.) The closest major city isSan Francisco, California, at 2,397 miles (3,858 km).[26] Some islands off the Mexican coast and part of theAleutian Islands ofAlaska are slightly closer to Honolulu than the mainland.
Downtown Honolulu is Hawaii's financial, commercial, and governmental center. On the waterfront isAloha Tower, for many years Hawaii's tallest building. The tallest building is now the 438-foot (134 m)First Hawaiian Center, on King and Bishop Streets. The downtown campus ofHawaiʻi Pacific University is also there.
The Arts District Honolulu, both downtown and in Chinatown, is on Chinatown's eastern edge. It is a 12-block area bounded by Bethel & Smith Streets and Nimitz Highway and Beretania Street—home to numerous arts and cultural institutions. It is within theChinatown Historic District, which includes the former Hotel Street Vice District.[29]
TheCapitol District is the eastern part of Downtown Honolulu. It is the current and historic center of Hawaii's state government, incorporating theState Capitol,ʻIolani Palace,Honolulu Hale (City Hall), State Library, and the statue of KingKamehameha I, along with numerous government buildings.
Ala Moana is a district betweenKakaʻako andWaikiki and the home ofAla Moana Center, the "world's largest open-air shopping center" and Hawaii's largest shopping mall.[30] Ala Moana Center has over 300 tenants and is very popular with tourists. Also in Ala Moana is the Honolulu Design Center andAla Moana Beach Park, Honolulu's second-largest park.
Waikiki is Honolulu's tourist district, between theAla Wai Canal and the Pacific Ocean next toDiamond Head. Numerous hotels, shops, and nightlife opportunities are along Kalākaua and Kūhiō Avenues. It is a popular location for visitors and locals alike and attracts millions of visitors every year. Most of Oʻahu's hotel rooms are in Waikiki.
Mānoa,Mōʻiliʻili, andMakiki are residential neighborhoods in adjacent areas just inland of downtown and Waikiki. Mānoa Valley is home to the main campus of theUniversity of Hawaiʻi.
Pālolo andKaimukī are neighborhoods east of Mānoa and Makiki, inland from Diamond Head. Pālolo Valley parallels Mānoa and is a residential neighborhood. Kaimukī is primarily a residential neighborhood with a commercial strip centered on Waiʻalae Avenue running behind Diamond Head.Chaminade University is in Kaimukī.
East Honolulu includes the residential communities ofʻĀina Haina, Niu Valley, andHawaiʻi Kai. These are considered upper-middle-class neighborhoods. The upscale gated communities of Waiʻalae ʻIki and Hawaiʻi Loa Ridge are also there.
Kalihi and Pālama are working-class neighborhoods with a number of government housing developments. Lower Kalihi, toward the ocean, is a light-industrial district.
Honolulu experiences ahot semi-arid climate (Köppen classificationBSh), with a mostly dry summer season, due to arain shadow effect.[33] Despite temperatures that meet the tropical threshold of all months having a mean temperature of 64.4 °F (18.0 °C) or higher, the city receives too little precipitation to be classified as tropical.
Temperatures vary little throughout the year, with average high temperatures of 80–90 °F (27–32 °C) and average lows of 65–75 °F (18–24 °C). Nevertheless, there are slight seasons. The "winter" months from December to March can occasionally see lows fall below 64 °F (18 °C), whereas the "summer" from June to September can get a limited number of hot days achieving 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. This occurs on an average of only 32 days annually,[34][b] with lows in the upper 50s °F (14–15 °C) once or twice a year. The highest recorded temperature was 95 °F (35 °C) on September 19, 1994, and August 31, 2019.[34] The lowest recorded temperature was 52 °F (11 °C) on February 16, 1902, and January 20, 1969.[34]
The annual average rainfall is 16.41 inches (417 millimeters),[34] which mainly occurs from October through early April, with very little rainfall in the summer. However, both seasons experience a similar number of rainy days. Light showers occur in summer, while heavier rain falls during winter. Honolulu has an average of 278 sunny days and 89.2 rainy days per year.
Although the city is in the tropics,hurricanes are quite rare. The last recorded hurricane that hit near Honolulu was Category 4Hurricane Iniki in 1992.Tornadoes are also uncommon and occur about every 15 years.Waterspouts off the coast are also uncommon, hitting about every five years.[35]
Honolulu, Hawaii – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
The population of Honolulu is 350,964 as of the2020 U.S. census, making it the 55th most populous city in the U.S. The city's population was 337,256 at the2010 U.S. census.[43]
The residential neighborhood ofEast Honolulu is considered a separate census-designated place by the Census Bureau but is generally considered part ofHonolulu's urban core. The population of East Honolulu was 50,922 as of 2020, increasing Honolulu's core population to over 400,000.[48]
In terms of race (including Hispanics in the racial counts), 54.8% were Asian, 17.9% were European, 1.5% were African American, 0.2% were Native American or Alaska Native, 8.4% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 0.8% were from "some other race", and 16.3% were from two or more races. Separately, Hispanic and Latino residents of any race made up 5.4% of the population.[43] In 1970, the Census Bureau reported Honolulu's population as 33.9% white and 53.7% Asian and Pacific Islander.[49]
Asian Americans are the majority of Honolulu's population, accounting for over 52%. The Asian ethnic groups are Japanese (19.9%), Filipino (13.2%), Chinese (10.4%), Korean (4.3%), Vietnamese (2.0%), Indian (0.3%), Laotian (0.3%), Thai (0.2%), Cambodian (0.1%), and Indonesian (0.1%).
Pacific Islander Americans are 8.4% of Honolulu's population. The Pacific Islander ethnic groups are people solely of Native Hawaiian ancestry (3.2%), Samoan Americans made up 1.5% of the population, Marshallese people make up 0.5%, and Tongan people comprise 0.3%. People of Guamanian descent made up 0.2% of the population and numbered 841.[43]
Metropolitan Honolulu, which encompasses all ofOahu island, had a population of 953,207 as of the 2010 U.S. census and 1,016,508 in the 2020 U.S. census, making it the 54th-largest metropolitan area in the United States.[50][51]
The largest city and airport in the Hawaiian Islands, Honolulu acts as a natural gateway to the islands' large tourism industry, which brings millions of visitors and contributes $10 billion annually to the local economy. Honolulu's location in the Pacific also makes it a large business and trading hub, particularly betweenthe East andthe West. Other important aspects of the city's economy include military defense, research and development, and manufacturing.[52]
In 2009, Honolulu had a 4.5% increase in average rent, maintaining it in the second most expensive rental market among 210 U.S. metropolitan areas.[59] Similarly, the general cost of living, including gasoline, electricity, and most foodstuffs, is much higher than on the U.S. mainland, because the city and state have to import most goods.[26] One 2014 report found that cost of living expenses were 69% higher than the U.S. average.[60] According to a 2024 report from the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, Honolulu experienced a 1.5 percentage point higher CPI-U compared to the 3.2% U.S. average increase in the first half of 2024.[61]
Since the onlynational banks in Hawaii are all local, many visitors and new residents must get accustomed to different banks. First Hawaiian Bank is Hawaii's largest and oldest bank,[62] headquartered at theFirst Hawaiian Center, the state's tallest office building.[63]
TheHonolulu Museum of Art has Hawaii's largest collection of Asian and Western art. It also has the largest collection of Islamic art, housed at theShangri La estate. Since the merger of the Honolulu Academy of Arts and The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu (now called theHonolulu Museum of Art Spalding House) in 2011, the museum is also the state's onlycontemporary artmuseum. The contemporary collections are housed at main campus (Spalding House) inMakiki and a multi-level gallery indowntown Honolulu at theFirst Hawaiian Center. The museum hosts a film and video program dedicated to arthouse and world cinema in the museum's Doris Duke Theatre, named for the museum's historic patronessDoris Duke.[65]
Honolulu also annually holds theHawaii International Film Festival (HIFF). It showcases some of the best films from producers all across the Pacific Rim and is the largest "East meets West" style film festival of its sort in the United States.
Honolulu's tropical climate lends itself to year-round activities. Honolulu has three largeroad races: theGreat Aloha Run,Honolulu Marathon, andHonolulu Triathlon.Ironman Hawaii was first held in Honolulu. It was the first ever Ironman triathlon event and is also the world championship. The Waikiki Roughwater Swim race is held annually off the beach of Waikiki on a 2.384 miles (3.837 km) course.[66]
Completed in 1928,Honolulu Hale is the city and county seat.
Rick Blangiardi was elected mayor of Honolulu County on August 8, 2020, and began serving as the county's 15th mayor on January 2, 2021. The municipal offices of theCity and County of Honolulu, includingHonolulu Hale, the seat of the city and county, are in theCapitol District, as are the Hawaii state government buildings.[74]
The Capitol District is in the Honolulucensus county division (CCD), the urban area commonly regarded as the "City" of Honolulu. The Honolulu CCD is on the southeast coast of Oʻahu betweenMakapuu andHalawa. The division boundary follows the Koʻolau crestline, so Makapuʻu Beach is in the Ko'olaupoko District. On the west, the division boundary follows Halawa Stream, then crossesRed Hill and runs just west ofAliamanu Crater, so thatAloha Stadium,Pearl Harbor (with theUSS Arizona Memorial), andHickam Air Force Base are all in the island's Ewa CCD.[75]
Honolulu is home to three renowned international affairs research institutions. ThePacific Forum, one of the world's leading Asia-Pacific policy research institutes and one of the first U.S. organizations to focus exclusively on Asia, has its main office on Bishop Street in downtown Honolulu. TheEast–West Center (EWC), an education and research organization established by Congress in 1960 to strengthen relations and understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific, and the U.S., is headquartered inMānoa, Honolulu. TheAsia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS), aU.S. Department of Defense institute, is based inWaikiki, Honolulu.APCSS addresses regional and global security issues and supports theU.S. Pacific Command by developing and sustaining relationships among security practitioners and national security establishments throughout the region.
The Hawaiʻi Japanese School – Rainbow Gakuen (ハワイレインボー学園Hawai Reinbō Gakuen), asupplementary weekend Japanese school, holds its classes in Kaimuki Middle School in Honolulu and has its offices in another building in Honolulu.[91] The school serves overseas Japanese nationals.[92] Honolulu has other weekend programs for the Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish languages.[93]
Hawaii State Public Library System operates public libraries. TheHawaii State Library in the CDP serves as the system's main library,[94] while the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, also in the CDP area, serves handicapped and blind people.[95]
Branches in the CDP area include Aiea, Aina Haina, Ewa Beach, Hawaiʻi Kai, Kahuku, Kailua, Kaimuki, Kalihi-Palama, Kaneohe, Kapolei, Liliha, Mānoa, McCully-Moiliili, Mililani, Moanalua, Wahiawa, Waialua, Waianae, Waikiki-Kapahulu, Waimanalo, and Waipahu.[96]
8R "Reef Runway" of Daniel K. Inouye International Airport
At the western end of the CDP,Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) is the principal aviation gateway to the state of Hawaii.Kalaeloa Airport is primarily a commuter facility used by unscheduled air taxis, general aviation and transient and locally based military aircraft.
Aerial view of H-1 (looking east) from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport heading into downtown Honolulu
Honolulu has been ranked as having the nation's worst traffic congestion, beating former record holderLos Angeles. Drivers waste on average over 58 hours per year on congested roadways.[97] The followingfreeways, part of theInterstate Highway System serve Honolulu:
Interstate H-1. Its western terminus is atKapolei where the roadway continues onto Farrington Highway. The H-1 passesHickam Air Force Base andDaniel K. Inouye International Airport, and runs through Pearl City before heading downtown into Honolulu. After continuing eastward through Makiki and Kaimuki, it ends at Waialae/Kahala as the roadway continues onto Kalanianole Highway.
Interstate H-201—known as the Moanalua Freeway and sometimes referred to by its former number, Hawaii State Route 78—connects two points along H-1:Aloha Stadium andFort Shafter. Close to H-1 and Aloha Stadium, H-201 has an exchange with the western terminus ofInterstate H-3 to the windward side of Oahu (Kaneohe). This complex of connecting ramps, some directly between H-1 and H-3, is inHalawa.
Interstate H-2 connects at a junction near Waipahu and Pearl City with the H-1 freeway. The H-2 freeway passes Schofield Barracks before ending at Wahiawa where it connects to theNorth Shore.
Kalanianaole Highway, State Route 72, runs eastward from Waialae/Kahala toHawaiʻi Kai and around the east end of the island toWaimanalo Beach.
Kamehameha Highway, State Routes 80, 83, 99 and 830, runs westward from nearHickam Air Force Base toAiea and beyond, eventually running through the center of the island, the North Shore, and ending inKaneohe.
Farrington Highway, State Route 93 runs western leeward Oahu from Kaena Point through Waianae and Makaha before the start of the H-1. State Route 930 starts east to west in the north shore connecting you from Wailua to Kaena Point
Like most major American cities, the Honolulu metropolitan area experiences heavy traffic congestion during rush hours, especially to and from the western suburbs ofKapolei,ʻEwa Beach,Aiea,Pearl City,Waipahu, andMililani.
There is a Hawaii Electric Vehicle Demonstration Project (HEVDP).[98]
Honolulu is constructing a 20-mile (32 km) rail transit line that will connect Honolulu with cities and suburban areas nearPearl Harbor and in the Leeward and West Oahu regions. Approved in 2010 by public referendum,Skyline aims to alleviatetraffic congestion for West Oʻahu commuters while aiding the westward expansion of the metropolitan area.[99] The project has been criticized for its high cost, delays, and potential environmental impacts, but the line is expected to have large ridership. The line's first segment connects East Kapolei and Aloha Stadium and opened on June 30, 2023.[100][101] The opening of the first phase of Skyline was delayed until 2023, as HART canceled the initial bids for the first nine stations, rebid the work as three packages of three stations each, and allowed more time for construction in the hope that increased competition on smaller contracts would drive down costs;[102] initial bids ranged from $294.5 million to $320.8 million, far surpassing HART's budget of $184 million.[103]
Electric street railways were operated in Honolulu by the now-defunct Honolulu Rapid Transit Company before World War II. Predecessors to the Honolulu Rapid Transit Company were theHonolulu Rapid Transit and Land Company (began 1903) and Hawaiian Tramways (began 1888).[104]
Established by former MayorFrank F. Fasi as the replacement for the Honolulu Rapid Transit Company (HRT), Honolulu'sTheBus system was honored in 1994–95 and 2000–01 by theAmerican Public Transportation Association as "America's Best Transit System". TheBus operates 107 routes serving Honolulu and most major cities and towns on Oʻahu. TheBus comprises a fleet of 531 buses, and is run by thenonprofit corporation Oʻahu Transit Services in conjunction with the city Department of Transportation Services. As of 2006[update], Honolulu was ranked fourth for highest per-capita use ofmass transit in the United States.[105]
The island also features TheHandi-Van,[106] for riders who require para-transit operations. To be eligible for this service, riders must meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). TheHandi-Van has a fare of $2 and is available from 4am to 1am. There is a 24-hour service within 3/4 of a mile of TheBus route 2[107] and route 40.[108] TheHandi-Van comprises a fleet of 160 buses. The parantransit branch also runs Human Services Transportation Coordination (HSTCP), which mainly provides transportation for people with disabilities, older adults, and people with limited incomes, assisted by the Committee for Accessible Transportation (CAT). Both organizations work together to provide transportation for elderly and persons with disabilities.
Since June 28, 2017,Bikeshare Hawaii administers the bicycle sharing program in Oʻahu while Secure Bike Share operates theBiki system. MostBiki stations are between Chinatown/Downtown and Diamond Head, but a 2018 expansion added stations toward the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Campus, Kapiʻolani Community College, Makiki, and Kalihi area.[109][110][111][112]
According to the 2016 American Community Survey (five-year average), 56% of Urban Honolulu residents commuted to work by driving alone, 13.8% carpooled, 11.7% used public transportation, and 8.7% walked. About 5.7% commuted by bike, taxi, motorcycle or other forms of transportation, while 4.1% worked at home.[113]
The city of Honolulu has a high percentage of households without a motor vehicle. In 2015, 16.6% of Honolulu households were car-free, which increased slightly to 17.2% in 2016; by comparison, the United States national average was 8.7% in 2016. Honolulu averaged 1.4 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.[114]
TheHonolulu Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency for the city and county of Honolulu and serves the entire Oahu Island. Honolulu Police Department has a mixed fleet of marked patrol cars and unmarked along with a subsidized vehicle program in place. Marked vehicles are white with blue stripes and white lettering HONOLULU POLICE. The Honolulu Police Departments lets officers of a certain rank purchase a private vehicle for police use. Subsidized vehicles are unmarked but have a small blue roof light.[115] Subsidized vehicles can be any make, model, or color, but must follow department rules and guidelines. Honolulu Police and Hawaii County Police on the Big Island are the only departments in the state of Hawaii and the U.S. with subsidized vehicles. Honolulu Police along with other city, county law enforcement in Hawaii uses blue lights for their vehicles. They also keep their cruise blue lights on while on patrol.[116]
TheHonolulu Fire Department provides firefighting services and first responder level emergency medical services on Oahu. Emergency medical services at higher levels are provided by theHonolulu Emergency Medical Services. Contrary to most other fire departments, fire trucks in Honolulu are yellow.[117]
^For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau considers Honolulu to be acensus-designated place rather than a city.[9]
^There have been as many as 116 days (in 1995) that reached 90 °F (32 °C), and as recently as, 2012, no days.[34] The average is comparable to Philadelphia despite being slightly warmer during the summer.
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^Official records for Honolulu have been kept at downtown from February 1877 to September 1949, and at Honolulu Int'l since October 1949. For more information, seeThreadEx
^US Census Bureau – Population Division."Places Cartographic Boundary Files Descriptions and Metadata". Washington, D.C., US:U.S. Census Bureau. Archived fromthe original on July 10, 2012. RetrievedJuly 14, 2012.Hawaii is the only state that has no incorporated places recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau. All places shown in the data products for Hawaii are CDPs. By agreement with the state of Hawaii, the U.S. Census Bureau does not show data separately for the city of Honolulu, which is coextensive with Honolulu County.
^"Honolulu History". Honolulu-city.com. December 7, 1941. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. RetrievedMay 22, 2012.
^"2007 Annual Visitor Research Report"(PDF). Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, State of Hawaii. July 1, 2008. RetrievedMay 30, 2009.
^USDA.gov"USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map".USDA. Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. RetrievedAugust 31, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^"Home page." Hawaii Japanese School – Rainbow Gakuen. Retrieved on April 16, 2015. "事務所住所： 2454 South Beretania St., #202 Honolulu, HI 96826" and "授業実施校： Kaimuki Middle School"
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