Kailua-Kona | |
|---|---|
 Kailua-Kona from Holualoa | |
 Location inHawaii County and the state ofHawaii | |
  Kailua-Kona | |
| Coordinates:19°39′0″N155°59′39″W / 19.65000°N 155.99417°W /19.65000; -155.99417 | |
| Area | |
• Total | 19.19 sq mi (49.71 km2) |
| • Land | 13.80 sq mi (35.73 km2) |
| • Water | 5.40 sq mi (13.98 km2) |
| Elevation | 7 ft (2.1 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 19,713 |
| • Density | 1,428.8/sq mi (551.66/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−10 (Hawaii–Aleutian) |
| ZIP code | 96740 |
| Area code | 808 |
| FIPS code | 15-23000 |
| GNIS feature ID | 365355 |
Kailua-Kona is anunincorporated community and, under the nameKailua,[2] acensus-designated place (CDP) inHawaii County,Hawaii,United States. It is most commonly referred to simply asKona (a name it shares withthe district to which it belongs), but also asKona Town, and occasionally as Kailua (a name it shares witha community on the windward side ofOʻahu), thus its less frequent use. Kailua-Kona is the second-largest settlement on theisland of Hawaii (afterHilo) and the largest on the island's west side, where it is the center of commerce and the tourist industry. Kailua-Kona is served byKona International Airport, just to the north in the adjacent CDP ofKalaoa.[3] The population was 19,713 at the2020 census, up from 11,975 at the2010 census.
Kailua-Kona was the closest major settlement to theepicenter of the2006 Kiholo Bay earthquake.
TheU.S. Census Bureau significantly altered Kailua CDP's boundaries for the2020 census. The eastern portion of Kailua CDP became part of the neighboringHolualoa CDP, while the western portion of Holualoa became part of Kailua CDP.
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The community was established by KingKamehameha I to be his seat of government when he was chief of Kona before he consolidated rule of the archipelago in 1795. It was later designated as the capital of the newly unifiedKingdom of Hawaiʻi. The capital was later moved toLāhainā, and then toHonolulu.
Royal fishponds atKaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park were the hub of unifiedHawaiian culture. The town later functioned as a retreat of the Hawaiian royal family. Up until the late 1800s, Kailua-Kona was primarily a small fishing village.[4]: 58 In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the region has undergone a real estate and construction boom fueled by tourism and investment.
In 2014, thePālamanui Community Forest preserve was created in Kailua-Kona with a goal of preserving and protecting the native trees of Hawai’i.[5]
Kailua-Kona is located at19°39′0″N155°59′39″W / 19.65000°N 155.99417°W /19.65000; -155.99417 (19.649973, −155.994028),[6] along the shoreline of Kailua Bay and up the southern slope ofHualālai volcano. There are no major rivers or streams in Kailua-Kona or on the Kona side of Hawaii.[4]: 26
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the Town has a total area of 39.9 square miles (103.3 km2), of which 35.6 square miles (92.3 km2) are land and 4.2 square miles (11.0 km2), or 10.67%, are water.[7]
Kailua-Kona is bordered to the north byKalaoa, to the south byHolualoa, and to the west by thePacific Ocean from Kailua Bay in the south to Honokohau Bay in the north. The Kailua-Konapostal code is 96740 (post office boxes – 96745).
Kailua-Kona has a tropical,semi-arid climate (KöppenBSh) with warm temperatures year-round, typical of its latitude in the tropics. It is the warmest place in the United States of America in January on average. The coolest month is February, with an average high temperature of 81.2 °F (27.3 °C), while the warmest is August, with an average high of 86.9 °F (30.5 °C). In addition to being the warmest place in the United States in January, it is also the city with the highest record low in the United States with an all-time low temperature of 56 °F (13 °C). Humidity is generally between 50% and 70%.[citation needed] Kailua-Kona is generally dry, with an average annual precipitation of 18.93 inches (481 mm). Mornings are typically clear, while thermal clouds created in the day raise the temperature during the day.[4]: 26
| Climate data forKona International Airport (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1998–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 88 (31) | 88 (31) | 89 (32) | 90 (32) | 93 (34) | 94 (34) | 93 (34) | 95 (35) | 96 (36) | 94 (34) | 93 (34) | 89 (32) | 96 (36) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 81.4 (27.4) | 81.5 (27.5) | 82.2 (27.9) | 83.2 (28.4) | 83.9 (28.8) | 85.2 (29.6) | 86.1 (30.1) | 87.3 (30.7) | 86.9 (30.5) | 86.2 (30.1) | 84.4 (29.1) | 82.3 (27.9) | 84.2 (29.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 75.0 (23.9) | 75.0 (23.9) | 75.9 (24.4) | 77.2 (25.1) | 78.3 (25.7) | 79.6 (26.4) | 80.5 (26.9) | 81.5 (27.5) | 81.0 (27.2) | 80.3 (26.8) | 78.4 (25.8) | 76.2 (24.6) | 78.2 (25.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 68.6 (20.3) | 68.4 (20.2) | 69.7 (20.9) | 71.1 (21.7) | 72.7 (22.6) | 74.0 (23.3) | 74.9 (23.8) | 75.7 (24.3) | 75.1 (23.9) | 74.5 (23.6) | 72.4 (22.4) | 70.0 (21.1) | 72.3 (22.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 60 (16) | 59 (15) | 61 (16) | 65 (18) | 65 (18) | 69 (21) | 69 (21) | 69 (21) | 65 (18) | 62 (17) | 61 (16) | 61 (16) | 59 (15) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 1.35 (34) | 1.17 (30) | 0.97 (25) | 0.63 (16) | 0.64 (16) | 0.76 (19) | 0.49 (12) | 0.54 (14) | 0.54 (14) | 0.89 (23) | 0.83 (21) | 1.06 (27) | 9.87 (251) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 3.4 | 3.2 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 5.6 | 5.2 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 50.4 |
| Source:NOAA[8][9] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Kailua Kona, Hawaii (1981–2010 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 90 (32) | 90 (32) | 91 (33) | 90 (32) | 92 (33) | 92 (33) | 93 (34) | 95 (35) | 94 (34) | 94 (34) | 92 (33) | 89 (32) | 95 (35) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 81.6 (27.6) | 81.2 (27.3) | 82.2 (27.9) | 83.0 (28.3) | 83.5 (28.6) | 85.0 (29.4) | 86.0 (30.0) | 86.9 (30.5) | 86.8 (30.4) | 86.0 (30.0) | 84.2 (29.0) | 82.5 (28.1) | 84.1 (28.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 68.2 (20.1) | 68.0 (20.0) | 70.0 (21.1) | 70.6 (21.4) | 71.6 (22.0) | 73.6 (23.1) | 74.1 (23.4) | 75.1 (23.9) | 74.6 (23.7) | 74.1 (23.4) | 71.8 (22.1) | 69.4 (20.8) | 71.8 (22.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 56 (13) | 58 (14) | 58 (14) | 60 (16) | 64 (18) | 62 (17) | 65 (18) | 58 (14) | 57 (14) | 57 (14) | 62 (17) | 60 (16) | 56 (13) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.41 (61) | 1.50 (38) | 1.78 (45) | 1.36 (35) | 2.00 (51) | 0.97 (25) | 0.70 (18) | 1.39 (35) | 0.84 (21) | 1.34 (34) | 1.28 (33) | 2.82 (72) | 18.39 (468) |
| Source: WRCC/NCDC[10][11] | |||||||||||||
Vog can cover parts of the Kona coast from time to time depending on the activity of theKilauea volcano and the island winds. Kailua-Kona is located on theleeward side of the Hualalai Volcano, sheltering the town from wind and rain.[4]: 58
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 9,893 | — | |
| 2010 | 11,975 | 21.0% | |
| 2020 | 19,713 | 64.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] | |||
As of thecensus[13] of2000, there were 9,870 people, 3,537 households, and 2,429 families residing in Kailua-Kona. The population density was 278.0 inhabitants per square mile (107.3/km2). There were 4,322 housing units at an average density of 121.7 units per square mile (47.0 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 38.7%White, 0.5%Black orAfrican American, 0.5%Native American, 18.3%Asian, 13.2%Pacific Islander, 1.9% fromother races, and 27.07% from two or more races. 10.2% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 3,537 households, out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% weremarried couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.26.
In Kailua-Kona, 27.3% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.0% was from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,874, and the median income for a family was $46,657. Males had a median income of $30,353 versus $26,471 for females. Theper capita income for the CDP was $20,624. 10.8% of the population and 6.5% of families were below thepoverty line. Out of the total population, 11.9% of those under the age of 18 and 3.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
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Kailua-Kona saw an economic downturn during the2008 national financial crisis but in the early 2010s has seen significant growth and economic development.[14]Tourism also saw a downturn in the late 2000s but has since seen some resurgence.[15] Visitor air arrivals alone increased about 160% from 2010 to 2017.[16]
TheUniversity of Hawaiʻi held its first classes at thenew Hawaii Community College Palamanui Campus in 2015.[17][18][19]
Since the early 2000s the Kona side had seen significant amounts ofvog fromPuʻu ʻŌʻō andKīlauea, but that changed in May 2018 when Kilauea largely ceased its emissions. Kailua-Kona's air is clearer than it has been in decades.[20]
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Kailua-Kona is the host of the annualIronman World Championship triathlon,[21] the annualKona Coffee Festival, and the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament.
Kona coffee is the variety ofCoffea arabica cultivated on the slopes ofHualālai andMauna Loa in the North and SouthKona Districts. The Kona Historical Society manages two coffee related historical sites: the Kona Coffee Living History Farm and the H.N. Greenwell Store Museum just south of Kailua-Kona.[22]
Ali'i Drive, Kailua's oceanfront downtown street, starts at Kailua-Kona Pier. It has also been given the designation as a Hawaii Scenic Byway called the "Royal Footsteps Along the Kona Coast".[23] This byway features archaeological sites that have survived for hundreds of years.
North of the pier is theKamakahonu royal residence and AhuʻenaHeiau, and nearby now stands the King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel. Another royal residence isHuliheʻe Palace, used by members of the Hawaiian royal family until 1914.[24] The Historic Kona Inn and other shops are on the street.
Churches on the drive includeMokuaikaua Church, Hawaiʻi's firstChristian church (the congregation began in 1820),Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, and Living Stones Church, a historical structure built after Mokuaikaua and used as a Christian Missionary landing location in the 1800–1900. Parks includeLa'aloa Bay (also known as Magic Sands or White Sands Beach) andKahaluʻu Bay, a popularsnorkeling location.
Boat tours that allow tourists to watch dolphins and whales, swim with manta rays, turtles and fish in the ocean usually depart from the Kailua-Kona pier or nearbyHonokohau and Keauhou harbors.
Kailua-Kona is served by television station KLEI and by the newspaperWest Hawaii Today, which is owned by Canadian publisherBlack Press Media (Black Press Group Ltd.)—also known simply as Black Press—whose headquarters are inSurrey, British Columbia,Canada.[25]
TheHawaii Department of Education operates public schools. Kealakehe Elementary School, Kahakai Elementary School, Kealakehe Intermediate School, andKealakehe High School are in the Kailua CDP.[26]
TheHawaii State Public Library System operates the Kailua-Kona Library.[27]
TheUniversity of the Nations, aYouth With A Mission training center, is in Kailua-Kona.[28]
Kona International Airport is the area airport.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)75-138 Hualalai Rd, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, United States
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