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Lahaina at a Glance
Lahaina, the largest town on the western side of Maui, was once the
capital of the Hawaiian kingdom and seat of power of
the Kamehameha dynasty. During the 1800s, Lahaina became a whaling port.
Starting around 1819, whaling ships from around the
world berthed in Lahaina for supplies and recreation. Sometimes, the
sailors stopped for as long as 3 winters until they had captured
enough sperm whales near Alaska, where the whaling was carried out.
However, the sailor’s bawdy behavior placed them at odds with the
missionaries who started to arrive in 1823. In 1927, the battle between the sailors and the
missionaries reached its climax when the governor of Maui arrested a
ship captain for having women on his ship.
In retaliation, the crew
lobbed a few cannonballs at the home of the first Protestant
missionary, William Richards. After the whaling industry petered
out, Lahaina became a sugar town.
Lahaina, which means “merciless sun,” refers to the town’s warm
to hot weather conditions, especially from March to November. Today,
Lahaina’s center of activity is along Front Street, which has
colorful shops, art galleries, pubs and restaurants.
At the Banyan
Tree Square, a banyan tree first planted in 1873 to commemorate the
fifth anniversary of the missionaries' arrival, has grown 12 new
trunks and stretches over an area of 200 feet (61 m).
Lahaina has a population of more than 9,000. This number swells
to around 40,000 during the tourist season. The resident
population is a mix of different races, but comprises mostly Asians
(43.40%) and Caucasians (26.44%).
Lahaina’s zip code is 96761.
Lahaina in Bullet Points
- Former whaling town and capital of the Hawaiian kingdom
- Today, it is a cozy town with colorful shops, art galleries, pubs and oceanfront restaurants
Lahaina Location
Maui's west shore
Lahaina Map (top)
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Lahaina Weather (top)
Now
65°F
Windchill:
65°F
Mostly Cloudy
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Location: Lahaina, HI, US
Wind: 5 mph NE
Humidity: 78%
Visibility: 0.1 mi
Pressure: 30.08 in rising
Sunrise: 6:30 am
Sunset: 6:36 pm
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Fri
Hi: 76°F
Low: 64°F
Scattered Showers
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Sat
Hi: 80°F
Low: 65°F
Mostly Sunny
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Lahaina Photos (click to enlarge) (top)
Lahaina Video (top)
Lahaina Reviews and Comments (top)
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