Honolulu

Honolulu from space
Honolulu as seen from the International Space Station

Honolulu is the largest city and the capital of the U.S. state of Hawai'i. In the Hawaiian language, honolulu means "sheltered bay" or "place of shelter." The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of O'ahu. As of the 2000 Census, the population of Honolulu proper was 371,657. However, in Hawai'i, municipal government is at the county level and the City & County of Honolulu encompasses all of the Island of O'ahu, having a 2000 Census population of 876,156 (compare with 1,211,537 for the entire state).

Geography

Honolulu is located at 21°18'32" North, 157°49'34" West (21.308950, -157.826182)¹. While this is clearly in the tropics, the climate (temperature and humidity) is moderated by the mid-ocean location and some cooling achieved by the California Current that passes through the islands much of year.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 272.1 km² (105.1 mi²). 222.0 km² (85.7 mi²) of it is land and 50.1 km² (19.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 18.42% water.

Downtown Honolulu
A view of downtown Honolulu at Bishop and King streets
with First Hawaiian Bank building (left) and
Bank of Hawaii (right).(Enlarge photo).

Most of the city's commercial and industrial developments are located on a narrow but relatively flat coastal plain, while numerous ridges and valleys located inland of the coastal plain divide Honolulu's residential areas into distinct neighborhoods. Within Honolulu are three volcanic craters: Punchbowl, Diamond Head, and Koko Head.

Neighborhoods and Districts

Downtown Honolulu is the 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 450-foot-tall First Hawaiian Tower, located on King & Bishop Streets. On the eastern side of downtown is the historic center of Hawaii's state government: the Hawaii State Capitol, Iolani Palace, Honolulu Hale, and the statue of King Kamehameha I are the central features of this area, along with numerous government buildings.
Kaka'ako is a former 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 Centre. Several other redevelopment projects are planned in this area, including a new medical school for the University of Hawaii.
Waikīkī is the famous tourist district of Honolulu, located between the Ala Wai Canal and the Pacific Ocean. Numerous hotels, shops, and other nightlife are located along Kalakaua and Kuhio Avenues. World-famous Waikīkī Beach attracts thousands of visitors a year. Just west of Waikīkī is Ala Moana Center, the world's largest open-air shopping center.
Mānoa and Makiki are residential neighborhoods located in adjacent valleys just inland of Downtown and Waikīk&#299. Mānoa Valley is home to the main campus of the University of Hawaii.
Kāhala is the upper-class district of Honolulu located directly east of Diamond Head and location of many high-priced homes. Also found in this neighborhood are the Waialae Country Club and the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
East Honolulu includes the residential communities of Āina Haina, Niu Valley, and Hawaii Kai. These are considered upper-middle-class neighborhoods.

Transportation

Located on the western end of the city, Honolulu International Airport is the main aviation gateway to the state of Hawai'i, and one of the busiest airports in the world.

Two freeways serve Honolulu proper:

Interstate H-1, which comes into the city from the west, passing Hickam Air Force Base and Honolulu Airport, running just north of Downtown, and then east through the city, ending at Kāhala. West of the city proper, H-1 connects to Interstates H-2 from Wahiawa and H-3 from Kāne'ohe.
State Route 78, the Moanalua Freeway, which runs from Aloha Stadium to Fort Shafter.

Like most major American cities, the Honolulu metropolitan area experiences heavy traffic congestion during rush hours, especially to and from the western suburbs of 'Aiea, Pearl City, Waipahu, and Mililani. Available space for expanding road capacity is also at a premium.

Honolulu's public transit system, TheBus, has twice been voted "America's Best Transit System" by the American Public Transportation Association (1994-1995 and 2000-2001). The ststem operates 93 routes with 525 buses.

Honolulu has no fixed rail mass transit system, although periodically, attempts have been made to create one in an attempt to alleviate traffic problems. These proposals have created a good deal of controversy. Supporters say that a rail system is the only long term solution to traffic congestion, while critics question whether the supposed benefits of rail justify the high construction and maintenance cost.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 371,657 people, 140,337 households, and 87,429 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,674.4/km² (4,336.6/mi²). There were 158,663 housing units at an average density of 714.8/km² (1,851.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 19.67% White, 1.62% African American, 0.19% Native American, 55.85% Asian, 6.85% Pacific Islander, 0.89% from other races, and 14.93% from two or more races. 4.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 140,337 households out of which 23.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% are married couples living together, 12.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% are non-families. 29.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.57 and the average family size is 3.23.

In the town the population is spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $45,112, and the median income for a family is $56,311. Males have a median income of $36,631 versus $29,930 for females. The per capita income for the town is $24,191. 11.8% of the population and 7.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 14.6% are under the age of 18 and 8.5% are 65 or older.

Tourist Attractions

Colleges & Universities