Lahaina Lāhainā Lele | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Lahaina on the waterfront prior to the2023 fire | |
 Location inMaui County and the state ofHawaii | |
  Lahaina Location in Hawaii | |
| Coordinates:20°52′26″N156°40′39″W / 20.87389°N 156.67750°W /20.87389; -156.67750 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Hawaii |
| County | Maui |
| Area | |
• Total | 9.29 sq mi (24.07 km2) |
| • Land | 7.78 sq mi (20.15 km2) |
| • Water | 1.51 sq mi (3.92 km2) |
| Elevation | 3.3 ft (1 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 12,702 |
| • Density | 1,632/sq mi (630.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-10 (Hawaii-Aleutian) |
| ZIP Codes | 96761, 96767 |
| Area code | 808 |
| FIPS code | 15-42950 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0361678 |
Lahaina (/ləˈhaɪnə/;Hawaiian:[ləˈhɐjnə]) orLāhainā is acensus-designated place (CDP) inMaui County, Hawaii, United States. On the northwest coast of the island ofMaui, it encompasses Lahaina town and theKāʻanapali andKapalua beach resorts. At the2020 census (before the 2023 wildfire), Lahaina had a resident population of 12,702. The CDP spans the coast alongHawaii Route 30 from a tunnel at the south end, through Olowalu, and to the CDPs of Kaanapali andNapili-Honokowai to the north.
A series of wildfires destroyed approximately 80% of Lahaina in 2023, resulting in the deaths of 102 people.[2]
BothLahaina andLāhainā are correct orthography in modern Hawaiian.[3]
Protestant missionaries sent by theAmerican Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) began organizing a way to write the Hawaiian language with English letters between 1820–1826 after they reached Hawaii.[4][5]
"The long English sound of i is represented by ai, as in Lahaina, where the second syllable is accented, and pronounced like the English word high".[6]
According toThrums Hawaiian Annual of 1921 the proper pronunciation of Lahaina is La-hai-ná.[7]
Lahaina has different pronunciations depending on howdiacritical marks are applied.[8]
Lahaina is a combination of two Hawaiian words, “lā” which means sun, and “hainā” which means cruel. The varied spellings Lāhainā and Lahaina are commonly interchanged when written in modern English, although the traditional spelling “Lāhainā” is still considered proper.
Lahaina was originally calledLele inHawaiian[9] and was known for itsbreadfruit trees.[10]Lele means jump or fly.Albert Pierce Taylor explains its relationship to the area as the "flying piece ofkuleana, that which sticks out from the sea".[10][11]
In 1915, James N.K. Keola, in an article inMid-Pacific Magazine entitled "Old Lahaina", wrote: "Lahaina is said to have received its name fromLā, the sun, andhainā, merciless. A bald-headed chief who lived at Kauaula Valley, while going to and fro without a hat, felt annoyed at the effects of the scorching rays of the burning sun. He looked up and gazed into the heavens and cursed at the sun thus:He keu hoi keia o ka la haina!" ("What a merciless sun!").[12] On July 13, 1920, theStar Bulletin published several theories on the name's origins that included the bald-headed chief legend, as well as theories that included the belief that the name goes back to 11th century asLaha aina (Proclaiming land).[7]
Other interpretations of the name include "day (of) sacrifice" and "day (of) explanation".[13] Inez MacPhee Ashdown (1899–1992), historian and founder of Maui Historical Society, believed the name wasLahaʻaina, meaning "land (of) prophecy", because of the number ofkahuna nui (high priest) prophecies made there.[10]
The firstmōʻī oraliʻi nui (supreme ruler) of western Maui wasHaho, the son ofPaumakua a huanuikalalailai. This line produced the subsequent rulers.[14]
The nameLele was adopted during the reign ofKakaʻalaneo. He held court there during joint rule with his brotherKakae, while living on a hill calledKekaʻa. They were the sons and heirs ofKaulahea I. Kakaʻalaneo first planted breadfruit trees while his son Kaululaʻau is credited with expelling ghosts fromLānaʻi and putting the island under the rule of his father and uncle. Kakae's sonKahekili I succeeded his father and uncle as ruler. Kahekili I's successor was his sonKawaokaohele, who was succeeded by his own sonPiʻilani[15][16]
Piʻilani was the first ruler of the entire island of Maui when he extended his sovereignty over East Maui. The aliʻi of Hāna district accepted him as supreme ruler. Piʻilani also controlled the neighboring islands of Lānaʻi,Kahoʻolawe, and parts ofMolokaʻi.[17][18]
In 1738, Lahaina and most of West Maui were the sites of a series of battles between the forces of Kamehamehanui Aiʻluau with his uncle and allyAlapaʻi, theali‘i nui of Hawaii Island, against his half-brother Kauhiʻaimokuakama with his allyPeleʻioholani, theali‘i nui of Oʻahu. The war ended in a truce between Alapaʻi and Peleʻioholani and the capture and execution of Kauhiʻaimokuakama by drowning. The remains of the fallen soldiers from both sides are said to be buried in the sands ofKāʻanapali district.[19][20][21]
On November 26, 1778Captain James Cook's ships appeared near Maui while the island's monarchKahekili II battled the forces ofKalaniʻōpuʻu, theali‘i nui of Hawaii Island. He did not land on the island but was greeted by the warriors of Kalaniʻōpuʻu including a youngKamehameha I in their war canoes.[22][23] The base of theKamehameha statue in Honolulu depicts the warrior meeting Cook off the coast of Lahaina.[24]
British explorerGeorge Vancouver visited in 1793 and unsuccessfully attempted to mediate a peace between Kahekili and Kalaniʻōpuʻu's successor Kamehameha I. During his visit, he gave a description of the constant warfare on Lahaina:[25]
The village of Raheina ... seemed to be pleasantly situated on a space of low or rather gently elevated land, in the midst of a grove of bread-fruit, cocoa-nut, and other trees...In the village the houses seemed to be numerous and to be well inhabited. A few of the natives visited the ships; these brought but little with them, and most of them were in very small miserable canoes. These circumstances strongly indicated their poverty, and proved what had been frequently asserted at Owhyhee, that Mowee and its neighbouring islands were reduced to great indigence by the wars in which for many years they had been engaged.[26]
From 1802 to 1803, Kamehameha I stationed his large fleet ofpeleleu war-canoes in Lahaina. While there, he wrote to the last independent ruler of Kauaʻi,Kaumualiʻi, asking him to acknowledge his overlordship. Although an invasion failed in 1804, Kaumualiʻi surrendered in 1810, uniting the Hawaiian Islands for the first time.[27][28][29]Kamehameha II resided in Lahaina from December 1819 until February 1820, when he returned to Honolulu.[28][29]
American Protestant missionaries from the ABCFM arrived in the Hawaiian Islands in 1820, setting up stations on Hawaiʻi, Oʻahu and Kauaʻi.[30] However, the first mission station onMaui was not established until 1823 by Reverend Charles Stewart andWilliam Richards. The two men and their family accompanied QueenKeōpūolani, the wife of Kamehameha I, and her daughter PrincessNāhiʻenaʻena from Oʻahu to Lahaina. They were tasked with instructing the queen aboutChristianity, to which Keōpūolani converted on her deathbed. The missionaries erected a temporary church made of wooden poles and a thatched roof.[31][32] In 1824, at the chiefs' request,Betsey Stockton started the first mission school open to common people.[33] Maui GovernorHoapili ordered the construction of a stone church. The cornerstone of theWaiola Church (originally named Ebenezera or Waineʻe Church) was laid on September 14, 1828.[32][31] In 1831, missionaries founded Lahainaluna Seminary (present-dayLahainaluna High School) where Hawaiian boys and young men (among them historianDavid Malo) were educated in the religion and in crafts such as carpentry, printing, engraving, and agriculture. The school published the firstHawaiian language newspaper in 1834. Teachers and students were instrumental in the translation of theBible into Hawaiian.[34]
Lahaina was an important destination for 19th-century whalers who came to reprovision their ships with fresh water, fruit, potatoes and other vegetables. The town provided ample rest and recreation for their crew whose presence frequently led to conflicts with the local missionaries.[35] On more than one occasion the conflict became so severe that sailors rioted. The British whaling shipJohn Palmer in 1827 shelled Lahaina. In response, Governor Hoapili built theOld Lahaina Fort in 1831 to protect the town from disorderly conduct of sailors.[36][37]
Kamehameha III resided in a traditional royal compound on the sacred island ofMokuʻula located on Mokuhinia lake in the middle of Lahaina from 1837 to 1845.[38][39] He built a two-story, Western-style palace in 1838 named Hale Piula, although it was not completed before the court moved.[40][41] During his residence, Kamehameha III signed and proclaimed the firstHawaiian constitution on October 8, 1840, at Luaʻehu, in Lahaina. Thelegislature's first meeting was held on April 1, 1841, also at Luaʻehu.[42][43] With the growing commercial importance of Oʻahu, Kamehameha III moved the capital toHonolulu in 1845.[44] Hale Piula was then transformed into a courthouse until it was heavily damaged in an 1858 storm. The following year, theOld Lahaina Courthouse was built as a replacement courthouse and customhouse at a site near the old fort.[32][40]
Abanyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) was planted near the site of Kamehameha I's first palace byWilliam Owen Smith on April 24, 1873, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of Christian missionaries. It survived as the oldest banyan tree in the state.[45]
On January 1, 1919, a major fire destroyed more than thirty buildings in Lahaina before it was extinguished by residents.[46] The 1919 fire led to the creation of the island-wide Maui Fire Department and adoption of fire safety standards.[46]
Over August 8–9, 2023, much of Lahaina was destroyed bya wildfire amid dry and windy conditions exacerbated byHurricane Dora, with 102 fatalities occurring in the town.[47]
In 2024,Maui County released plans for rebuilding the commercial district, infrastructure and affordable housing with a completion estimate of six years.[48][49]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 9.3 square miles (24.1 km2), of which 7.8 square miles (20.2 km2) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2), or 16%, is water.[50]
Lahaina town is one of the driest places in Hawaii, because it is in therain shadow of Mauna Kahālāwai (West Maui Mountains). Many different climate zones define Lahaina's districts.Kaanapali is north of a wind line and has double the annual rainfall and frequent breezes. Kapalua and Napili have almost four times more annual rainfall than the town.
Lahaina has a hotsemi-arid climate (KöppenBShs) with warm temperatures year-round, fairly wet winters, and dry summers.
| Climate data for Lahaina, Maui | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 89 (32) | 89 (32) | 91 (33) | 89 (32) | 91 (33) | 93 (34) | 93 (34) | 97 (36) | 94 (34) | 94 (34) | 92 (33) | 91 (33) | 97 (36) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 82 (28) | 82 (28) | 83 (28) | 84 (29) | 84 (29) | 86 (30) | 87 (31) | 88 (31) | 88 (31) | 87 (31) | 85 (29) | 83 (28) | 85 (29) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 64 (18) | 64 (18) | 65 (18) | 66 (19) | 67 (19) | 69 (21) | 70 (21) | 71 (22) | 71 (22) | 70 (21) | 68 (20) | 66 (19) | 68 (20) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 54 (12) | 53 (12) | 54 (12) | 54 (12) | 57 (14) | 60 (16) | 62 (17) | 63 (17) | 61 (16) | 58 (14) | 56 (13) | 52 (11) | 52 (11) |
| Average rainfall inches (mm) | 3.15 (80) | 2.04 (52) | 1.83 (46) | 0.74 (19) | 0.44 (11) | 0.08 (2.0) | 0.14 (3.6) | 0.28 (7.1) | 0.31 (7.9) | 0.89 (23) | 1.83 (46) | 2.90 (74) | 14.63 (371.6) |
| Source: The Weather Channel[51] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 6,654 | — | |
| 1990 | 9,189 | 38.1% | |
| 2000 | 9,118 | −0.8% | |
| 2010 | 11,704 | 28.4% | |
| 2020 | 12,702 | 8.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[52] | |||
The population of Lahaina was 12,702 as of the2020 Census.[53]
34.8% of the population wasAsian, 27.9%White, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American or Alaska Native, 10.5%Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 24.7% were from two or more races. Hispanic and Latino residents of any race made up 11.5% of the population.[53]
The population of Lahaina was 6,654 at the 1980 Census and 9,189 in 1990.[54]
Before the fire, Front Street stores and restaurants attracted many visitors and was the focal point of theLahaina Historic District. The Bailey Museum, the Lahaina Courthouse, and the Prison lined the street. The historic district included 60 historic sites managed by the Lahaina Restoration. Front Street was ranked one of the "Top Ten Greatest Streets" by theAmerican Planning Association.[55] TheBanyan Court Park featured was the largest banyan tree in the United States, reaching 60 ft (20 m) in height with 46 ancillary trunks covering an area of 1.94 acres (7,900 m2).[56]
The 1831 fort retained reconstructed remains of its 20-foot (6 m) walls and original cannons. Near the harbor were the historic Pioneer Inn and the Baldwin House, a historical landmark built in the 1800s.[57]
Whale-watching excursions were a popular pastime.[58] Thehumpback whale is dominant, although sightings offin,minke,Bryde's,blue, andNorth Pacific right whales have been reported.[59]Mala Wharf is a historic pier built in 1922 and a popular spot for snorkeling.
Carthaginian II was amuseum ship moored in the harbor of this formerwhaling port-of-call. Built in 1920 and brought to Maui in 1973, it served as a whaling museum until 2005. It was sunk in 95 feet (29 m) of water about1⁄2-mile (800 m) offshore to create anartificial reef. It replaced an earlier replica of awhaler,Carthaginian, which was converted to film scenes for the 1966 movieHawaii.
Hale Paʻi, located atLahainaluna High School, is the site of Hawaii's first printing press, where Hawaii's first paper currency was printed in 1843. The "L" in the West Maui mountains stands for Lahainaluna High School which was built in 1904. West Maui mountain valleys are visible from town. The valleys are the backdrop for "the 5 o'clock rainbow" that appears almost every day.
Halloween is a major celebration celebrated in Lahaina, with crowds averaging between twenty and thirty thousand.[60] Front Street is often closed to vehicles, followed by the "Keiki Parade" of costumed children. Adults in costumes join in. Halloween night in Lahaina has been termed the "Mardi Gras of the Pacific".[61] From 2008-2011 the celebration was curtailed following the objections of cultural advisers who claimed that it was an affront to Hawaiian culture, after which the County permitted the event to resume, citing economic reasons.[55]
The school district for the entire state is theHawaii Department of Education, and it covers Lahaina.[62]
Schools in the Lahaina CDP include:[63]
King Kamehameha III Elementary School first opened in 1913.[66] Megan Tagami of theHonolulu Civil Beat wrote in 2024 that the school had been "A Source Of Community Pride".[67] The2023 Hawaii wildfires destroyed the original school. As of 2024[update] it has a temporary location in Pulelehua,[68] in theMāhinahina CDP, though it has a Lahiana post office address.[69] The temporary campus is adjacent toKapalua Airport.[70]
TheHawaii State Public Library System operates the Lahaina Library. As of 2025[update] it is closed for the time being.[71] The 2023 fires had destroyed the library.[72]
Each November, theLahaina Civic Center hosts theMaui Invitational, a top early-seasoncollege basketball tournament. The 2023 tournament was moved to Honolulu because of the wildfires.
TheLahaina Aquatic Center hosts swim meets and water polo.[73]Tennis events also take place.
Lahaina hosts the finish of theVictoria to Maui Yacht Race, which starts inVictoria, British Columbia, Canada. This race started in the 1960s and is held biannually.
The Plantation Course at Kapalua hosts thePGA Tour'sSentry Tournament of Champions every January.
Movies, literature, and songs about, or filmed in Lahaina include:
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816 Niheu Street, Lahaina, Hawaii 96761
871 Lahainaluna Road Lahaina HI 96761
Kapalua Arprt-Compare to school full location: "100 Akahele St, Lahaina, HI 96761"
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Travel information from WikivoyageIslands, municipalities, and communities ofMaui County, Hawaii,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| CDPs |  | |
| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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