Honolulu

Honolulu is the capital and largest city in Hawaii, located on the south shore of Oahu. It blends rich Hawaiian history with modern culture and is home to iconic landmarks like Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head, and Pearl Harbor. As a vibrant urban center surrounded by scenic mountains and ocean, Honolulu offers year-round warm weather, diverse neighborhoods, cultural sites, shopping, and business hubs, making it the gateway to the Hawaiian Islands.

Honolulu, Oahu

Honolulu (view panorama) × is the capital of the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is located on the south shore of the island of Oahu, in the Central Pacific Ocean, 2,551 miles (4,105 km) west of Los Angeles. Honolulu's population is 1,016,508 (2020 Census), which makes it the largest city in the state of Hawaii. But the city is not just the largest in Hawaii, but the "largest" city in the whole world. That's because Hawaii's state constitution states that any Hawaiian island not named as belonging to a county belongs to Honolulu.

This makes the entire island of Oahu, where Honolulu is located, plus all the other small, uninhabited islands from the island of Nihoa to the Kure Atoll (except Midway), known as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, part of Honolulu. Honolulu is about 1,500 miles (2,414 km) long. Or in other words, it spans the distance from Los Angeles, California, to Denver, Colorado.

The population of the island of Oahu, where Honolulu is located, makes up about 70 percent of the state's total population. In the Hawaiian language, hono means "sheltered or protected" and lulu means "bay." So Honolulu means "sheltered bay." Even though Honolulu is located near the Equator, its climate (temperature and humidity) is moderated by the cooling effect of the steady tradewinds and ocean currents.

Honolulu has several districts, including the popular tourist destination Waikiki, located about 3 miles (4.8 km) east of downtown Honolulu. Pearl Harbor, a military harbor that was attacked by the Japanese in 1941, which led to the involvement of the United States in World War II, is located about 8 miles (12.9 km) to the west. Kapiolani Park, Honolulus largest park, is located at the east end of Waikiki, on the foothills of popular Diamond Head, an extinct volcanic crater.

Notable institutions are the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the Bishop Museum (noted for its studies of Polynesia), the Honolulu Academy of Arts (known for its Hawaiian and Asian collections) and Kawaiahao Church (1841), where funerals of Hawaiian monarchs took place. Iolani Palace, located downtown right next to the Hawaii State Library, is the only royal palace in the United States. It was constructed as seat of the government in 1882 by the "Merry Monarch" King David Kalakaua and his wife Queen Kapiolani.

Since World War II, tourism in Hawaii has increased a lot and many hotels, apartment buildings and private residences were built. This has made Honolulu (view panorama) × the business and population center of Hawaii. Besides tourism, Honolulu's other industries include printing and publishing, jewelry, clothing, food and beverages, rubber products, construction materials and electronics and computer equipment.

Key Features of Honolulu

Hawaii's capital city: Honolulu is the seat of government and largest population center in the state, located on the island of Oahu.
Historic and cultural landmarks: Home to Iolani Palace, Pearl Harbor, the Bishop Museum, and the Honolulu Museum of Art.
Waikiki Beach district: A world-famous beachfront neighborhood known for resorts, shopping, nightlife, and surfing.
Scenic surroundings: Framed by volcanic craters like Diamond Head and lush mountains, with views of the Pacific Ocean.
Tourism and commerce hub: The center of Hawaii's tourism industry and a major gateway for business and international travelers.
Population: 350,964 (2020 Census)
Zip code: 96813–96850 (varies by district)

Reviews and Comments:


Aloha Honolulu is a excellent City it's clean has lovely landscape Everywhere it's Building are amazing We do work around peak Traffic Times we never hear crime stuff like gun fire and alarms going off people come here because they will will not Freeze we have food water and beaches to shower the building are built for Earthquake they will not hit each other in all the 46 years we have only had 2 hurricanes no quakes There is no place on this Earth like Honolulu it is the largest city in the world we live in the country Waianae it's very nice coming to town if you live near hospitals it's not quiet because of ambulance so I think Honolulu is enchanted because all Islands and towns are part of Honolulu hugs from our Ohana to your OHANA means family
Kathy Paaaina, Mon Nov 27, 2017


I've been living in Honolulu for half a decade now and I think that the city's traffic and noise problem is getting worse. Too many people move here all the time and one can feel it on the streets and restaurants. It's always crowded, no matter if you're out on a weekday or weekend. The time of day doesn't seem to matter much either. Prices have also gone way up in the last few years, no matter if rent or groceries. It's all way up! Honolulu is otherwise a nice city to live in, if you have money and don't need to drive a lot or commute to work.
Annie, Feb 15, 2010