Honolulu ( HON-ə-LOO-loo; Hawaiian: [honoˈlulu]) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island of Oʻahu. The population of Honolulu was 350,964 at the 2020 census, dropping to an estimated 341,868 by 2025. The Urban Honolulu metropolitan area had an estimated population of just under 1 million residents in 2024 and is the 56th-largest metropolitan area in the nation.
The area's geography and Honolulu Harbor have long made it desirable as a port, accounting for the city's growth and importance in the Hawaiian archipelago and the broader Pacific region. Honolulu has been the capital of Hawaii since 1845, first as seat of the independent Hawaiian Kingdom until the kingdom's overthrow in 1893, then of the U.S. territory established after annexation in 1898, and since 1959 of the state of Hawaii. The city gained worldwide recognition following the Empire of Japan's attack on nearby Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which prompted the entry of the U.S. into World War II; the harbor remains a major U.S. Navy base, hosting the United States Pacific Fleet, the world's largest naval command.
Honolulu is the westernmost and southernmost major U.S. city and state capital. It is also a hub for business, commerce, finance, hospitality, and military defense in Oceania. The city is characterized by a mix of various Asian, Western, and Pacific 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. However, since the beginning of the 21st century, climate change has significantly impacted Honolulu and its tourism economy, contributing to increasing drought and water shortages, and sea level rise as well as beach and hotel flooding in Downtown Honolulu. These factors are compounded by an aging and declining population, with an exodus emigrating to the U.S. mainland.
Etymology
Honolulu is Hawaiian for 'sheltered harbor' or 'calm port'; this former meaning is also reflected in the related Māori cognate toponym Whangaruru in the tip of New Zealand's North Island. 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.
History
Evidence of the first settlement of Honolulu by the original Polynesian 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. After Kamehameha I conquered Oʻahu in the Battle of Nuʻuanu at Nuʻuanu Pali, he moved his royal court from the Island of Hawaiʻi to Waikiki in 1804. His court relocated in 1809 to what is now downtown Honolulu. The capital was moved back to Kailua-Kona in 1812.
In November 1794, Captain William Brown of Great Britain was the first foreigner to sail into what is now Honolulu Harbor. 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 after Kamehameha I chose it as a replacement for his residence at Waikiki in 1810.
In 1845, Kamehameha III moved the permanent capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom from Lahaina on Maui to Honolulu. He and the kings who followed him transformed Honolulu into a modern capital, erecting buildings such as St. Andrew's Cathedral, ʻIolani Palace, and Aliʻiōlani Hale. At the same time, Honolulu became the islands' center of commerce, with descendants of American missionaries establishing major businesses downtown.
Despite the turbulent history of the late 19th century and early 20th century—such as the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, Hawaii's annexation by the U.S. in 1898, a large fire in 1900, and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941—Honolulu remained the Hawaiian Islands' capital, largest city, and main airport and seaport.
An economic and tourism boom following statehood brought rapid economic growth to Honolulu and Hawaii. Modern air travel brings, as of 2007, 7.6 million visitors annually to the islands, with 62.3% entering at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. 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.
Geography
According to the United 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.
Honolulu is the most remote major U.S. city and one of the most isolated major cities in the world. The closest location in mainland U.S. is the Point Arena Lighthouse in northern California, at 2,045 nautical miles (2,353 mi; 3,787 km). (Nautical vessels require some additional distance to circumnavigate Makapuʻu Point.) The closest major city is San Francisco, California, at 2,083 nautical miles (2,397 mi; 3,858 km). Some islands off the Mexican coast and part of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska are slightly closer to Honolulu than the mainland.
The volcanic field of the Honolulu Volcanics is partially inside the city.
The antipode of Honolulu is in Botswana, Southern Africa.
Neighborhoods
- Downtown Honolulu is Hawaii's financial, commercial, and governmental center. On the waterfront is Aloha 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 of Hawaiʻi 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 the Chinatown Historic District, which includes the former Hotel Street Vice District.
- The Capitol District is the eastern part of Downtown Honolulu. It is the current and historic center of Hawaii's state government, incorporating the State Capitol, ʻIolani Palace, Honolulu Hale (City Hall), State Library, and the statue of King Kamehameha I, along with numerous government buildings.
- Kakaʻako is a light-industrial district between Downtown and Waikiki that has seen a large-scale redevelopment effort in the past decade. It is home to two major shopping areas, Ward Warehouse and Ward Center. The Howard Hughes Corporation plans to transform Ward Centers into Ward Village over the next decade. The John A. Burns School of Medicine, part of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, is also there. A memorial to the Ehime Maru Incident victims is at the Kakaʻako Waterfront Park.
- Ala Moana is a district between Kakaʻako and Waikiki and the home of Ala Moana Center, the "world's largest open-air shopping center" and Hawaii's largest shopping mall. Ala Moana Center has over 300 tenants and is very popular with tourists. Also in Ala Moana is the Honolulu Design Center and Ala Moana Beach Park, Honolulu's second-largest park.
- Waikiki is Honolulu's tourist district, between the Ala Wai Canal and the Pacific Ocean next to Diamond 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, and Makiki are residential neighborhoods in adjacent areas just inland of downtown and Waikiki. Mānoa Valley is home to the main campus of the University of Hawaiʻi.
- Nuʻuanu and Pauoa are upper-middle-class residential districts inland of downtown Honolulu. The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is in Punchbowl Crater, fronting Pauoa Valley.
- Pālolo and Kaimukī 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.
- Waiʻalae and Kāhala are upper-class districts of Honolulu directly east of Diamond Head, with many high-priced homes. Also in these neighborhoods are the Waialae Country Club and the five-star Kahala Hotel & Resort.
- East Honolulu includes the residential communities of ʻĀina Haina, Niu Valley, and Hawaiʻi 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.
- Salt Lake and Āliamanu are (mostly) residential areas built in extinct tuff cones along the western end of the Honolulu District, not far from Honolulu International Airport.
- Moanalua is two neighborhoods and a valley at the western end of Honolulu, and home to Tripler Army Medical Center.
- Kamehameha Heights is a northern suburb.
Climate
Honolulu experiences a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen classification BSh), with a mostly dry summer season, due to a rain shadow effect. 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 67 °F (19 °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, 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. The lowest recorded temperature was 52 °F (11 °C) on February 16, 1902, and January 20, 1969.
The annual average rainfall is 16.41 inches (417 millimeters), 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 4 Hurricane 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.
Honolulu falls under the USDA 12b Plant Hardiness zone.
The average temperature of the sea ranges from 75.7 °F (24.3 °C) in March to 80.4 °F (26.9 °C) in September.
01002003004005006001890-011917-071945-011972-072000-01Highest tempAverage high tempAverage low tempLowest tempPrecipitationPrecipitation DaysHonolulu monthly weather statistics
Demographics
2020 census
The population of Honolulu is 350,964 as of the 2020 U.S. census, making it the 55th most populous city in the U.S. The city's population was 337,256 at the 2010 U.S. census.
The residential neighborhood of East Honolulu is considered a separate census-designated place by the Census Bureau but is generally considered part of Honolulu's urban core. The population of East Honolulu was 50,922 as of 2020, increasing Honolulu's core population to over 400,000.
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. In 1970, the Census Bureau reported Honolulu's population as 33.9% white and 53.7% Asian and Pacific Islander.
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.
Metropolitan Honolulu, which encompasses all of Oahu 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.
Economy
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 between the East and the West. Other important aspects of the city's economy include military defense, research and development, and manufacturing.
Among the companies based in Honolulu are:
- Alexander & Baldwin
- American Savings Bank
- Bank of Hawaii
- Central Pacific Bank
- First Hawaiian Bank
- Hawaii Medical Service Association
- Hawaii Pacific Health
- Hawaiian Electric Industries
- Matson Navigation Company
- The Queen's Health Systems
Hawaiian Airlines, Island Air, and Aloha Air Cargo are headquartered in the city. Until it dissolved, Aloha Airlines was headquartered in the city. At one time Mid-Pacific Airlines had its headquarters on the property of Honolulu International Airport.