Kapaa, Kauai

Kapaa at a Glance

Kapaa, which literally means “solid” or “crossing,” is located in the eastern part of the Garden Isle of Kauai and situated within the district of Kaiwahu. Elevated just 10 feet above sea level, the town covers a total land area 25.9 square kilometers. The town is situated in the ancient district of Puna, and shares the famous Nounou Mountain or Sleeping Giant with its more touristy neighboring towns such as Wailua and Anahola. However, Kapaa is a less-known town, lacking the attractions that make other Kauai towns like Wailua and Waimea well-frequented by tourists.

In the 19th and 20th century, agriculture was the town’s main industry. It had sugar cane and pineapple plantations. However, much of the town’s commercial and residential infrastructures were destroyed when the Hurricane Iniki struck the island of Kauai in 1992. Like the other towns hit by the hurricane, the town’s economy was left paralyzed. Though slow to recover from the calamity, today Kapaa teems with hotels, art galleries, boutique shops, and restaurants. However, the town also has the most severe traffic problem in Kauai County. Although a bypass road has been built by the government and a two-way traffic system has been implemented, heavily-congested traffic remains a feature of Kapaa.

Like other Hawaiian towns, Kapaa is home to people of different ethnic background. Natives (9.95%) and immigrants predominantly of Asian (31.67%), Caucasians (27.81%), and Latino (9.95%) ancestries make up the 9,742 population total of Kapaa. Kapaa’s population density, based on a 2000 census data, was around 972 people per square mile.

Kapaa’s zip code is 96746.

Kapaa in Bullet Points

Kapaa Location

Kauai

Kapaa Map (top)

Kapaa Weather (top)

Now
72°F
Windchill:
72°F
Mostly Cloudy
Location: Kapaa, HI, US
Wind: 18 mph N
Humidity: 64%
Visibility: 0.1 mi
Pressure: 30.12 in rising
Sunrise: 6:43 am
Sunset: 6:47 pm Thu
Hi: 72°F
Low: 64°F
Partly Cloudy
Fri
Hi: 71°F
Low: 65°F
Showers