Honolulu

This article is about the state capital city of Hawaii, within Honolulu County. For Honolulu County and its government, see Honolulu County. For other uses, see Honolulu (disambiguation).

Honolulu
—  State Capital  —
The City and County of Honolulu
Clockwise: Aerial view of Downtown Honolulu, Pearl Harbor right outside the city, statue of King Kamehameha I in downtown, Diamond Head, waterfront on Waikiki Beach, and Honolulu Hale (City Hall)
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): Crossroads of the Pacific, Sheltered Bay, Town, HNL, The Big Pineapple, Paradise
Motto: Haʻaheo No ʻO Honolulu (The Pride of Honolulu)
Location in Honolulu County and the state of Hawaii
Honolulu Location in Honolulu County and the state of Hawaii
Coordinates: 21°18′32″N 157°49′34″W
Country	United States
State	Hawaii
County	Honolulu
Incorporated	April 30, 1907
Government
• Mayor	Kirk Caldwell
• Council	Members (2013) 1. Kymberly Marcos Pine 2. Ernest Y. Martin 3. Ikaika Anderson 4. Stanley Chang 5. Ann Kobayashi 6. Carol Fukunaga 7. Joey Manahan 8. Breene Harimoto 9. Ron Menor
Area
• State Capital	68.4 sq mi (177.2 km2)
• Land	60.5 sq mi (156.7 km2)
• Water	7.9 sq mi (20.5 km2)
Elevation	19 ft (6 m)
Population (2010)
• State Capital	390,738 (46th)
• Density	5,574/sq mi (2,152.2/km2)
• Metro	953,207
Demonym	Honolulan
Time zone	Hawaiian (HST) (UTC−10)
Zip Code	96801-96850
Area code(s)	808
FIPS code	15-17000
GNIS feature ID	0366212

Honolulu /ˌhoʊnoʊˈluːluː/; Hawaiian: hono'lulu) is the state capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Situated on the island of Oahu, it is known worldwide as a major tourist destination; Honolulu is the main gateway to Hawaii and a major gateway into the United States of America. It is also a major hub for international business, military defense, as well as famously being host to a diverse variety of east-west and Pacific culture, cuisine, and traditions.

Honolulu is both the southernmost and westernmost major U.S. city. For statistical purposes, the U.S. Census Bureau recognizes the "City of Honolulu" as a census county division (CCD). Honolulu is a major financial center of the islands of the Pacific Ocean. The population of the City of Honolulu was 390,738 at the 2010 census, while the population of the consolidated city and county was 953,207. Honolulu is the most populous state capital relative to state population.

In the Hawaiian language, Honolulu means "sheltered bay" or "place of shelter". The old name is said to be Kou, a district roughly encompassing the area from Nuuanu Avenue to Alakea Street and from Hotel Street to Queen Street which is the heart of the present downtown district. The city has been the capital of the Hawaiian islands since 1845 and gained historical recognition following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor near the city on December 7, 1941.

History

Port of Honolulu, as seen by Russian artist Louis Choris in 1816

Queen Street, Honolulu, 1856, by George Henry Burgess

The Great Chinatown Fire

Aerial view of Downtown Honolulu and its natural harbor

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. However, after Kamehameha I conquered Oʻahu in the Battle of Nuʻuanu at Nuʻuanu Pali, he moved his royal court from the Island of Hawaiʻi to Waikīkī in 1804. His court relocated in 1809 to what is now downtown Honolulu. The capital was moved back to Kailua-Kona in 1812.

In 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.

In 1845, Kamehameha III moved the permanent capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom from Lahaina on Maui to Honolulu. He and the kings that 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 center of commerce in the islands, with descendants of American missionaries establishing major businesses in downtown Honolulu.

Despite the turbulent history of the late 19th century and early 20th century, such as the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, Hawaiʻi's subsequent annexation by the United States in 1898, followed by a large fire in 1900, and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Honolulu remained the capital, largest city, and main airport and seaport of the Hawaiian Islands.

An economic and tourism boom following statehood brought rapid economic growth to Honolulu and Hawaiʻi. Modern air travel brings, as of 2007, 7.6 million visitors annually to the islands, with 62.3% entering at Honolulu International Airport. Today, Honolulu is a modern city with numerous high-rise buildings, and Waikīkī is the center of the tourism industry in Hawaiʻi, with thousands of hotel rooms. The UK consulting firm Mercer, in a 2009 assessment "conducted to help governments and major companies place employees on international assignments", ranked Honolulu 29th worldwide in quality of living; the survey factored in political stability, personal freedom, sanitation, crime, housing, the natural environment, recreation, banking facilities, availability of consumer goods, education, and public services including transportation.

Geography

Astronaut photograph of western Honolulu, HNL Airport, and Pearl Harbor taken from the International Space Station

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 68.4 square miles (177.2 km²). 60.5 square miles (156.7 km²) of it is land, and 7.9 square miles (20.5 km²) of it (11.56%) is water.

The closest location on the mainland to Honolulu is the Point Arena Lighthouse in California, at 2,045 nautical miles (3,787 km). (Nautical vessels require some additional distance to circumnavigate Makapuʻu Point.) However, part of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska are slightly closer to Honolulu than the mainland.

Climate

Honolulu experiences a tropical savannah climate (Köppen classification As) with a mostly dry summer season due to a rain shadow effect that suppresses summer rains and winter rainfall. Temperatures vary little throughout the months, with average high temperatures of 80–90 °F (27–32 °C) and average lows of 65–75 °F (18–24 °C) throughout the year. Temperatures rarely exceed 95 °F (35 °C), with lows in the upper 50s °F (14–15 °C) occurring once or twice a year. The highest recorded temperature was 95 °F (35 °C) during a heat wave in September 1998. The highest recorded temperature in the state was also recorded later that day in Ni'ihau. The lowest recorded temperature was 52 °F (11 °C) on February 16, 1902, and January 20, 1969. Waters off the coast of Honolulu average 82 °F (28 °C) in the summer months and 74 °F (23 °C) in the winter months.^{[citation needed]}

Annual average rain is 17.07 in (434 mm), which mainly occurs during the winter months of October through early April, with very little rainfall during the summer. Honolulu has an average of 278 sunny days and 90 wet days per year. Although Honolulu is known to have a wet and dry season, it is unnoticeable. This is mainly because light showers fall in the summer while heavier rain falls during the winter. Yet, both seasons experience the same amount of rainy days.

Although the city is situated in the upper tropics, hurricanes are quite rare. The last recorded hurricane that hit the area was Category 4 Hurricane Iniki in 1992. Tornadoes are also uncommon and usually hit once every 15 years. Waterspouts off the coast are somewhat more common, hitting about once every five years.

Climate data for Honolulu (Honolulu International Airport), 1981−2010 normals, extremes
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	88 (31)	88 (31)	89 (32)	91 (33)	93 (34)	92 (33)	94 (34)	93 (34)	95 (35)	94 (34)	93 (34)	89 (32)	95 (35)
Average high °F (°C)	80.5 (26.9)	80.5 (26.9)	81.6 (27.6)	83.2 (28.4)	85 (29)	87.3 (30.7)	88.2 (31.2)	89.1 (31.7)	88.8 (31.6)	87.1 (30.6)	84.2 (29)	81.6 (27.6)	84.8 (29.3)
Average low °F (°C)	66.2 (19)	66.1 (18.9)	67.7 (19.8)	69.4 (20.8)	70.9 (21.6)	73.3 (22.9)	74.4 (23.6)	75.1 (23.9)	74.4 (23.6)	73.3 (22.9)	71.4 (21.9)	68.2 (20.1)	70.9 (21.6)
Record low °F (°C)	52 (11)	52 (11)	53 (12)	56 (13)	60 (16)	63 (17)	63 (17)	63 (17)	65 (18)	61 (16)	57 (14)	54 (12)	52 (11)
Rainfall inches (mm)	2.31 (58.7)	1.99 (50.5)	2.02 (51.3)	0.62 (15.7)	0.62 (15.7)	0.26 (6.6)	0.51 (13)	0.55 (14)	0.69 (17.5)	1.84 (46.7)	2.42 (61.5)	3.24 (82.3)	17.07 (433.5)
Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.01 inch)	8.5	8.4	8.8	7.5	6.8	5.7	7.1	5.6	6.9	7.6	8.8	9.7	91.4
Percent possible sunshine	65	68	72	70	72	74	76	77	77	70	65	63	71
Source: NOAA Average Percent Sunshine through 2009

Average Sea Temperature^{[citation needed]}

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
77 °F 24 °C	77 °F 24 °C	77 °F 25 °C	79 °F 25 °C	79 °F 26 °C	81 °F 27 °C	81 °F 27 °C	82 °F 28 °C	82 °F 27 °C	80 °F 26 °C	80 °F 25 °C	77 °F 25 °C

Panorama of Honolulu's waterfront in February 2007.

Government

Completed in 1928, Honolulu Hale is the city and county seat

Kirk Caldwell was elected mayor on November 6, 2012, and has began serving as the 14th mayor of Honolulu on January 2, 2013. The municipal offices of the City and County of Honolulu, including Honolulu Hale, the seat of the city and county, are located in the Capitol District, as are the Hawaii state government buildings.

The Capitol District is within the Honolulu Census County Division (CCD), the urban area commonly regarded as the "City" of Honolulu. The Honolulu CCD is located on the southeast coast of Oahu between Makapuu and Halawa. The division boundary follows the Koolau crestline, so Makapuʻu Beach is in the Koolaupoko District. On the west, the division boundary follows Halawa Stream, then crosses Red Hill and runs just west of Aliamanu Crater, so that Aloha Stadium, Pearl Harbor (with the USS Arizona Memorial), and Hickam Air Force Base are actually all located in the island's Ewa CCD.

The Hawaii Department of Public Safety operates the Oahu Community Correctional Center, the jail for the island of Oahu, in Honolulu CCD.

The United States Postal Service operates post offices in Honolulu. The main Honolulu Post Office is located by the international airport at 3600 Aolele Street. Federal Detention Center, Honolulu, operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, is in the CDP.

Diplomatic missions on the island

Several countries have diplomatic facilities in Honolulu, due to its strategically important position in the mid-Pacific. They include consulates of Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Federated States of Micronesia, Australia, and the Marshall Islands.

Neighborhoods and districts

Honolulu as seen from the International Space Station

Downtown at Bishop and King streets, with First Hawaiian Center (left) and Bankoh Center (right)

• Downtown Honolulu is the financial, commercial, and governmental center of Hawaii. On the waterfront is Aloha Tower, which for many years was the tallest building in Hawaii. Currently the tallest building is the 438-foot (134 m) tall First Hawaiian Center, located on King and Bishop Streets. The downtown campus of Hawaii Pacific University is also located there.
• The Arts District Honolulu in downtown/Chinatown is on the eastern edge of Chinatown. 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 located 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 Hawaii State Capitol, Iolani 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 Waikīkī that has seen a large-scale redevelopment effort in the past decade. It is home to two major shopping areas, Ward Warehouse and Ward Centre. The John A. Burns School of Medicine, part of the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa is also located there. A Memorial to the Ehime Maru Incident victims is built at Kakaako Waterfront Park.
• Ala Moana is a district between Kakaʻako and Waikīkī and the home of Ala Moana Center, the "World's largest open air shopping center" and the largest shopping mall in Hawaii. Ala Moana Center boasts over 300 tenants and is a very popular location among tourists. Also in Ala Moana is the Honolulu Design Center and Ala Moana Beach Park, the second largest park in Honolulu.
• Waikīkī is the tourist district of Honolulu, located between the Ala Wai Canal and the Pacific Ocean next to Diamond Head. Numerous hotels, shops, and nightlife opportunities are located along Kalakaua and Kuhio Avenues. It is a popular location for visitors and locals alike and attracts millions of visitors every year. A majority of the hotel rooms on Oahu are located in Waikīkī.
• Manoa and Makiki are residential neighborhoods located in adjacent valleys just inland of downtown and Waikīkī. Manoa Valley is home to the main campus of the University of Hawaiʻi. President Barack Obama lived in Makiki with his maternal grandparents until graduating from Punahou School, apart from four years in Indonesia with his mother and stepfather.
• Nuʻuanu and Pauoa are upper-middle-class residential districts located inland of downtown Honolulu. The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is located in Punchbowl Crater fronting Pauoa Valley.
• Palolo and Kaimuki are neighborhoods east of Manoa and Makiki, inland from Diamond Head. Palolo Valley parallels Manoa and is a residential neighborhood. Kaimuki is primarily a residential neighborhood with a commercial strip centered on Waialae Avenue running behind Diamond Head. Chaminade University is located in Kaimuki.
• Waialae and Kahala are upper-class districts of Honolulu located directly east of Diamond Head, where there are many high-priced homes. Also found 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 located here.
• Kalihi and Palama are working-class neighborhoods with a number of government housing developments. Lower Kalihi, toward the ocean, is a light-industrial district.
• Salt Lake and Aliamanu are (mostly) residential areas built in extinct tuff cones along the western end of the Honolulu District, not far from the Honolulu International Airport.
• Moanalua is two neighborhoods and a valley at the western end of Honolulu, and home to Tripler Army Medical Center.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1890	22,907		—
1900	39,306		71.6%
1910	52,183		32.8%
1920	83,327		59.7%
1930	137,582		65.1%
1940	179,326		30.3%
1950	248,034		38.3%
1960	294,194		18.6%
1970	324,871		10.4%
1980	365,048		12.4%
1990	365,272		0.1%
2000	371,657		1.7%
2010	390,738		5.1%
Population 1890–2010.

The Hawaii State Capitol

DFS Galleria in Waikīkī

The population of the Honolulu was 390,738 according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Of those, 192,781 (49.3%) were male and 197,957 (50.7%) were female. The median age for males was 40.0 and 43.0 for females; the overall median age was 41.3. Approximately 84.7% of the total population was 16 years and over; 82.6% were 18 years and over, 78.8% were 21 years and over, 21.4% were 62 years and over, and 17.8% were 65 years and over.

In terms of race and ethnicity, 17.9% were White, 1.5% were Black or African American, 0.2% were American Indian or Alaska Native, 54.8% were Asian, 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. Hispanics and Latinos 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 represent the majority of Honolulu's population. Japanese Americans represent 19.9% of the population; Filipino Americans represent 13.2% of the population. Chinese American made up 10.4% of the population. People solely of Native Hawaiian ancestry made up just 3.2% of the population. Samoan Americans made up 1.5% of the population. People of Guamanian or Chamorro descent made up 0.2% of the population and numbered 841 residents.

Academy of the Pacific, Damien Memorial School, Hawaii Baptist Academy, Iolani School, Kamehameha Schools, Maryknoll School, Mid-Pacific Institute, La Pietra, Punahou School, Sacred Hearts Academy, St. Andrew's Priory School, Saint Francis School, Saint Louis School, the Education Laboratory School, Saint Patrick School, Trinity Christian School, and Varsity International School.

Public libraries

Hawaii State Public Library System operates public libraries. The Hawaii State Library in the CDP serves as the main library of the system, while the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, also in the CDP area, serves handicapped and blind people.

Branches in the CDP area include Aiea, Aina Haina, Ewa Beach, Hawaii Kai, Kahuku, Kailua, Kaimuki, Kalihi-Palama, Kaneohe, Kapolei, Liliha, Manoa, McCully-Moiliili, Mililani, Moanalua, Wahiawa, Waialua, Waianae, Waikiki-Kapahulu, Waimanalo, and Waipahu.

Sister and twin cities

Among the sister and twin cities are:

• Baku, Azerbaijan
• San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Manila, Philippines
• Zhongshan, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
• Bruyères, France
• Iloilo City, Philippines
• Bursa, Turkey
• Hiroshima, Japan

See also

• List of cities with the most high-rise buildings
• List of tallest buildings in Honolulu

Notes

^ a: For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau considers Honolulu to be a Census-designated place (CDP), rather than a city.

External links

• City & County of Honolulu official site
• Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau
• Listings of jazz performing arts in Honolulu
• Honolulu informational travel guide