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Lihue, Hawaii Līhuʻe | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of Lihue | |
 Location inKauai County and the state ofHawaii | |
| Coordinates:21°58′29″N159°21′56″W / 21.97472°N 159.36556°W /21.97472; -159.36556 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Hawaii |
| County | Kauai |
| Area | |
• Total | 8.24 sq mi (21.33 km2) |
| • Land | 7.46 sq mi (19.32 km2) |
| • Water | 0.78 sq mi (2.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 220 ft (67 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 8,004 |
| • Density | 1,072.92/sq mi (414.27/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−10 (Hawaii-Aleutian) |
| ZIP code | 96766 |
| Area code | 808 |
| FIPS code | 15-45200 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0361837 |
Lihue (Hawaiian:Līhuʻe,[liːˈhuʔe]) is anunincorporated community,census-designated place (CDP) and thecounty seat ofKauai County,Hawaii, United States. Lihue is the second-largest town on theHawaiian island ofKauaʻi, followingKapaʻa. As of the2010 census, the CDP had a population of 6,455,[2] up from 5,694 at the 2000 census.
In ancient times, Lihue was a small village.Līhuʻe means "cold chill" in theHawaiian language.[3][4] Lihue is in the ancient district ofPuna, the southeastern coast of the island, and the land division (ahupuaʻa) of Kalapaki.[5]Royal GovernorKaikioʻewa officially made it his governing seat in 1837, moving it fromWaimea;[6] he named the town after land he owned onOahu by the same name.
With the emergence of thesugar industry in the 1800s, Lihue became the central city of the island with the construction of a largesugar mill. Early investors wereHenry A. Peirce,Charles Reed Bishop andWilliam Little Lee. The plantation struggled untilWilliam Harrison Rice built the firstirrigation system in 1856.[7]
Subsequentplantation ownerPaul Isenberg helpedGerman people emigrate to Lihue starting in 1881, with the firstLutheran church in Hawaii founded in 1883.[8] Services were held in German well into the 1960s. By the 1930s,George Norton Wilcox became one of the largestsugarcane plantation owners, buyingGrove Farm fromHermann A. Widemann.[9] The Wilcox family home, Kilohana, has been converted into a restaurant and gift shop. The surrounding plantation now grows crops and livestock. Anarrow-gaugetourist railroad with vintagediesel locomotives fromWhitworth andGeneral Electric offers tours of the plantation; horse-drawn carriage tours are offered as well. The grounds are also the site ofluaus, many of which are offshore excursions booked throughNCL America. Lihue also houses theKauai Museum, which details thehistory of Kauai.[10]
Lihue is on the eastern side of the island of Kauai, bordered byHanamaulu to the north andPuhi to the west. Its shorefront on theKauai Channel of the Pacific Ocean extends from Hanamaulu Bay in the north to the largerNawiliwili Bay to the south.Hawaii Route 50 leads west from Lihue 12 miles (19 km) toKalaheo and beyond to the western side of the island, whileHawaii Route 56 leads north 7 miles (11 km) toKapaa and onwards to the northern side of the island.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the Lihue CDP has an area of 50 square kilometres (19.3 sq mi), of which 6.7 square miles (17.3 km2) is land and 0.77 square miles (2.0 km2), or 10.42%, is water.[2]
Lihue has atropical wet and dry climate zone (Köppen classificationAs) with a relatively dry summer season.[11] The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 71.6 °F (22.0 °C) in February to 79.7 °F (26.5 °C) in August. On average, there are 7.7 nights annually with a low below 60 °F (16 °C), and readings of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher are quite rare, occurring on average once every eight years. Temperature records range from 46 °F (8 °C) on January 14, 1930 up to only 91 °F (33 °C) as recently as September 4–8, 2019. The record cool daily maximum is 67 °F (19 °C) as recently as December 19, 1981, while, conversely, the record warm daily minimum is 81 °F (27 °C) as recently as September 7–9, 2019.[12]
Normal annual rainfall is 37.05 inches (941 mm) spread over an average 195 days, but observed annual rainfall has ranged from 16.40 to 74.40 inches (417 to 1,890 mm) in 1983 and 1982, respectively. The wettest month on record is March 2006 with 36.13 inches (918 mm), while the most rain to occur in a single calendar day is 15.81 inches (402 mm) on May 13, 1940. The record driest month is February 1983 with trace amounts.[12]
| Climate data forLihue Airport, Hawaii (1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1905–present)[b] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 87 (31) | 89 (32) | 88 (31) | 88 (31) | 89 (32) | 89 (32) | 91 (33) | 91 (33) | 91 (33) | 91 (33) | 89 (32) | 89 (32) | 91 (33) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 82.6 (28.1) | 81.9 (27.7) | 81.9 (27.7) | 82.4 (28.0) | 84.2 (29.0) | 84.7 (29.3) | 86.3 (30.2) | 87.0 (30.6) | 87.2 (30.7) | 86.5 (30.3) | 84.1 (28.9) | 82.3 (27.9) | 88.2 (31.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 78.6 (25.9) | 78.1 (25.6) | 78.5 (25.8) | 79.8 (26.6) | 81.6 (27.6) | 83.3 (28.5) | 84.6 (29.2) | 85.2 (29.6) | 85.3 (29.6) | 83.9 (28.8) | 81.2 (27.3) | 79.1 (26.2) | 81.6 (27.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 72.3 (22.4) | 72.2 (22.3) | 72.9 (22.7) | 74.6 (23.7) | 76.3 (24.6) | 78.3 (25.7) | 79.6 (26.4) | 80.2 (26.8) | 80.0 (26.7) | 78.7 (25.9) | 76.2 (24.6) | 73.9 (23.3) | 76.3 (24.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 66.0 (18.9) | 66.2 (19.0) | 67.3 (19.6) | 69.5 (20.8) | 70.9 (21.6) | 73.4 (23.0) | 74.6 (23.7) | 75.2 (24.0) | 74.8 (23.8) | 73.6 (23.1) | 71.3 (21.8) | 68.6 (20.3) | 71.0 (21.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 58.2 (14.6) | 58.5 (14.7) | 59.6 (15.3) | 62.7 (17.1) | 64.4 (18.0) | 69.1 (20.6) | 70.4 (21.3) | 71.0 (21.7) | 69.8 (21.0) | 67.1 (19.5) | 64.6 (18.1) | 61.2 (16.2) | 56.4 (13.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 46 (8) | 47 (8) | 47 (8) | 51 (11) | 54 (12) | 57 (14) | 59 (15) | 58 (14) | 59 (15) | 54 (12) | 51 (11) | 50 (10) | 46 (8) |
| Average rainfall inches (mm) | 2.78 (71) | 3.63 (92) | 5.61 (142) | 2.03 (52) | 2.18 (55) | 1.79 (45) | 1.75 (44) | 2.33 (59) | 2.18 (55) | 3.27 (83) | 4.03 (102) | 4.64 (118) | 36.22 (920) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.01 in) | 12.0 | 12.5 | 15.1 | 15.5 | 14.3 | 17.8 | 19.3 | 18.0 | 16.1 | 16.9 | 17.5 | 17.6 | 192.6 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 76.1 | 75.4 | 75.3 | 75.2 | 74.9 | 73.5 | 73.9 | 74.0 | 74.1 | 76.2 | 76.8 | 76.5 | 75.2 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 176.2 | 181.7 | 206.5 | 202.8 | 243.6 | 248.3 | 257.9 | 263.3 | 242.1 | 207.7 | 161.4 | 160.7 | 2,552.2 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 52 | 57 | 55 | 53 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 66 | 66 | 58 | 48 | 48 | 58 |
| Source:NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961−1990)[12][13][14] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5,694 | — | |
| 2010 | 6,455 | 13.4% | |
| 2020 | 8,004 | 24.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[15] | |||
As of thecensus[16] of 2000, there were 5,694 people, 2,178 households, and 1,420 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 898.3 inhabitants per square mile (346.8/km2). There were 2,399 housing units at an average density of 379.8 per square mile (146.6/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 22.8%White, 49.2%Asian, 0.2%Black orAfrican American, 0.2%Native American, 6.4%Pacific Islander, 0.7% fromother races, and 20.5% from two or more races. 6.5% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 2,178 households, out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% weremarried couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the CDP the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $44,906, and the median income for a family was $56,875 in 2000. Males had a median income of $38,713 versus $28,032 for females. Theper capita income for the CDP was $22,619. 4.6% of the population and 1.7% of families were below thepoverty line. Out of the total population, 1.4% of those under the age of 18 and 7.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Lihue is served byLihue Airport, in the eastern part of the community.[17] Kauai's main seaport is atNāwiliwili Bay, directly southeast of town. Lihue is also served byThe Kauaʻi Bus, a public bus system serving the entire island.
The town is home to the county administration building; Kauai's largest shopping center,Kukui Grove Center, which houses the island's only big department store and several big-box stores. There are also several car dealerships and restaurants.
Lihue is home toKauai Community College, part of theUniversity of Hawaii system.
Lihue is also served by theHawaii Department of Education. TwoK-5elementary schools, Wilcox Elementary School in Lihue and Kaumualii Elementary School in downtownHanamaulu serve the area. All of the area is zoned to Kamakahelei Middle School andKauai High School.
Island School, a private pre-kindergarten to 12 school, is also located in Lihue.
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