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Honolulu)
Honolulu is the capital and most populous census-designated place (CDP) in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Although Honolulu refers to the city itself along the south shore of the island, it is commonly designated[citation needed] as the entire island of Oahu. In the Hawaiian language, Honolulu means "sheltered bay" or "place of shelter." It lies along the southeast coast of the island of Oahu and of the City & County of Honolulu. The population was 371,657 at the 2000 census.
Honolulu is the only incorporated city in Hawaii; all other local government entities in Hawaii are administered at the county level. The island of Oahu (approximately 600 square miles/1,600 square kilometres) is under the administrative jurisdiction of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu.
History
It is not known when Honolulu was first settled by the original Polynesian
migrants to the archipelago. Oral histories and artifacts indicate that
there was a settlement where Honolulu now stands in the 12th century.
However, after Kamehameha I conquered Oahu in the Battle of Nuʻuanu at Nuʻuanu Pali, he moved his royal court from the Island of Hawaiʻi to Waikīkī in 1804. His court later relocated, in 1809, to what is now downtown Honolulu.
View of the DFS Galleria in
Waikīkī
Captain William Brown of England was the first foreigner to sail, in
1794, into what is now Honolulu Harbor. More foreign ships would
follow, 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, which saw the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy,
Hawaii's subsequent annexation by the United States, and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Honolulu would remain 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 Hawaii. Modern air travel would bring
thousands, eventually millions (per annum) of visitors to the Islands.
Today, Honolulu is a modern city with numerous high-rise buildings, and
Waikīkī is the center of the tourism industry in Hawaii, with thousands
of hotel rooms.
Geography and climate
Honolulu is located at 21°18'32" North, 157°49'34" West (21.308950, -157.826182)[1]. While the climate 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 the year. The average daily low
and high temperatures in January are 65/80 °F (18/27 °C) and in July
are 74/88 °F (23/31 °C). Temperatures exceed 90 °F (32 °C) only rarely,
with lows in the 50's °F (15 °C) occurring perhaps once or twice in a
year. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Honolulu was 95 °F (35 °C) on September 19, 1994 and the coldest temperature ever recorded was 53 °F (11.6 °C) on January 31, 1998, 1972 and 1948; January 20, 1969; February 1 and February 2, 1976; February 9, 1981; and February 12, 1983.
The closest location on the mainland to Honolulu is the Point Arena, California Lighthouse, at 2,045 nautical miles (2,353 statute miles) or 3,787 kilometers.[2] (Nautical vessels require some additional distance to circumnavigate Makapu'u Point.) However, part of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska are slightly closer than California.
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Rec High °F (°C) |
88 (31.1) |
88 (31.1) |
88 (31.1) |
91 (32.7) |
93 (33.8) |
92 (33.3) |
94 (34.4) |
93 (33.8) |
95 (35) |
94 (34.4) |
93 (33.8) |
89 (31.6) |
| Norm High °F |
80.4 (26.8) |
80.7 (27.05) |
81.7 (27.6) |
83.1 (28.4) |
84.9 (29.4) |
86.9 (30.5) |
87.8 (31) |
88.9 (31.6) |
88.9 (31.6) |
87.2 (30.6) |
84.3 (29.05) |
81.7 (27.6) |
| Norm Low °F (°C) |
65.7 (18.7) |
65.4 (18.5) |
66.9 (19.4) |
68.2 (20.1) |
69.6 (20.8) |
72.1 (22.3) |
73.8 (23.2) |
74.7 (23.7) |
74.2 (23.4) |
73.2 (22.8) |
71.1 (21.7) |
67.8 (19.8) |
| Rec Low °F (°C) |
53 (11.6) |
53 (11.6) |
55 (12.7) |
57 (13.8) |
60 (15.5) |
65 (18.3) |
66 (18.8) |
67 (19.4) |
66 (18.8) |
61 (16.1) |
57 (13.8) |
54 (12.2) |
| Precip in. (mm) |
2.73 (69.3) |
2.35 (59.7) |
1.89 (48) |
1.11 (28.2) |
0.78 (19.8) |
0.43 (10.9) |
0.5 (12.7) |
0.46 (11.7) |
0.74 (18.8) |
2.18 (55.4) |
2.27 (57.6) |
2.85 (72.4) |
| Source: USTravelWeather.com [2] |
Government
Completed in 1928, Honolulu Hale is the seat of the city and county.
-
Honolulu is administered under a consolidated city-county form of government employing a strong mayor-council system. The Mayor of Honolulu holds executive privileges — as opposed to mayors with only ceremonial powers — and the Honolulu City Council serves as the legislature. Mufi Hannemann currently serves as Mayor of Honolulu. His term ends January 2, 2010.
One of the largest municipal governments in the United States, the
city and county works with an annual operating budget of over USD 1 billion. The Honolulu Fire Department and Honolulu Police Department
are administered by the mayor and city council through appointed
officials. Likewise, other municipal departments oversee services which
include civil defense, driver licensing, emergency medical, parks and
recreation, sanitation, streets, vehicle registration, voter
registration, water, among others.
Districts
The Honolulu District is located on the southeast coast of Oahu between Makapuu and Halawa.
The District boundary follows the Koolau crestline, so Makapuu Beach is
in the Koolaupoko District. On the west, the district 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 District.
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: some spread
along valley floors (like Manoa in Manoa Valley) and others climb the
interfluvial ridges. Within Honolulu proper can be found several volcanic cones: Punchbowl, Diamond Head, Koko Head (includes Hanauma Bay), Koko Crater, Salt Lake, and Aliamanu being the most conspicuous.
Honolulu and Juneau, Alaska
are the only two US state capitals that cannot be reached directly by
road from the contiguous 48 States. Direct connections to these
capitals require a boat or a plane.
Neighborhoods and special districts
- 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 ([3]).
- 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. [4]
- 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.
- Waikīkī is the world famous 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. World-famous Waikīkī Beach attracts millions of visitors a year. Just west of Waikīkī is Ala Moana Center, the world's largest open-air shopping center. A majority of the hotel rooms on Oahu are located in Waikīkī.
Downtown Honolulu as seen from the Capitol District
- 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.
- 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 the 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 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.
View of downtown Honolulu at Bishop and King streets with First Hawaiian Center building (left) and Bank of Hawaii (right)
Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 371,657 people, 140,337 households, and 87,429 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 4,336.6 people per square mile (1,674.4/km²). There were 158,663
housing units at an average density of 1,851.3/sq mi (714.8/km²). The
racial makeup of the CDP was 19.67% White, 1.62% Black or 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. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.37% of the population.
There were 140,337 households out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples
living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband
present, and 37.7% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made
up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years
of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average
family size is 3.23.
In the CDP the population was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years.
For every 100 females there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age
18 and over, there were 94.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $45,112, and the
median income for a family was $56,311. Males had a median income of
$36,631 versus $29,930 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $24,191. About 7.9% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.6% of those under the age of 18 and 8.5% of those 65 and older.
Transportation
View of Honolulu skyline from Honolulu Airport.
Interstate H-1 eastbound into Honolulu.
Air
Located on the western end of Honolulu proper, Honolulu International Airport (HNL) is the principal aviation gateway to the state of Hawaii.
Highways
Several freeways serve Honolulu:
- Interstate H-1, which, coming into the city from the west, passes Hickam Air Force Base
and Honolulu International Airport, runs just north of Downtown and
continues eastward through Makiki and Kaimuki, ending at
Waialae/Kahala. H-1 connects to Interstate H-2 from Wahiawa and Interstate H-3 from Kaneohe, west of the city proper.
- Interstate H-201—also known as the Moanalua Freeway and formerly numbered Hawaii State Rte. 78—connects two points along H-1: at Aloha Stadium and Fort Shafter. Close to H-1 and Aloha Stadium, H-2 has an exchange with the western terminus of Interstate H-3 to the windward side of Oahu (Kaneohe). This complex of connecting ramps, some directly between H-1 and H-3, is in Halawa.
- Interstate H-2 runs from Pearl City, through Waipio and Mililani, to Wahiawa and dissolves into a highway (Wilikina Drive) near the military base, U.S. Army base Schofield Barracks and Army Airfield Wheeler. The interstate is a convenient way to get to the island's North Shore.
- Interstate H-3
is also known as the John A. Burns Freeway, and runs from the H-1 in
Honolulu to the community of Kane'ohe. Despite the number, signage is
that of an east-west highway. However, most residents would consider
the route to run north and south: from the windward (northeast) coast
to the south side of the island.
Other major highways that link Honolulu proper with other parts of the Island of Oahu are:
Like most major American cities, the Honolulu metropolitan area
experiences heavy traffic congestion during rush hours, especially to
and from the western suburbs of Kapolei, Ewa, Aiea, Pearl City, Waipahu, and Mililani. Land for expanding road capacity is at a premium everywhere on Oahu.
Public transportation
Bus
Established by former Mayor Frank F. Fasi, Honolulu's public transit system has been twice honored by the American Public Transportation Association bestowing the title of "America's Best Transit System" for 1994–1995 and 2000–2001. Oahu Transit Services' "TheBus" operates 107 routes with a fleet of 525 buses.
In 2004, construction had started on a bus rapid transit (BRT) system using dedicated rights-of-way for buses. The system, proposed by former Mayor Jeremy Harris, was expected to link the Iwilei neighborhood with Waikiki. However, current Mayor Mufi Hannemann has largely dismantled the BRT system and deployed its buses along other express bus routes.
Rail
Currently, there is no railway system in Honolulu. The last major
attempt was called the Honolulu Area Rail Rapid Transit project.
Popularly known as HART, the twenty-one station rail system almost came
to fruition before Mayor Eileen Anderson cancelled the project in 1981 and returned grants and funding to their sources[4][5], arguing the project would break her vow of fiscal responsibility[6].
Several attempts had been made since Anderson's cancellation of HART
to construct a fixed rail mass transit system. All attempts stalled in
Honolulu City Council hearings. In 2004,
the city, county and state approved development of an action plan for a
system to be built in several phases. The initial line proposed linking
Kapolei in West Oahu to the University of Hawaii at Manoa. However, on December 22, 2006 the city council approved a fixed-guideway system meant to accommodate either rail or buses, running from Kapolei in West Oahu to Ala Moana, with spurs into Waikiki and Manoa.
Cultural institutions
With symbolic native-styled architectural features, the First Hawaiian
Center is the tallest building in Hawaii and home to a Contemporary
Museum gallery.
Performing arts
Established in 1900, the Honolulu Symphony is the oldest US symphony orchestra west of the Rocky Mountains. Other classical music ensembles include the Hawaii Opera Theatre. Honolulu is also a center for Hawaiian music. The main music venues include the Neal Blaisdell Center Concert Hall, the Waikiki Shell, and the Hawaii Theatre.
Honolulu also includes several venues for live theater, including the Diamond Head Theatre and the Manoa Valley Theatre. Honolulu Theatre for Youth,
a professional ensemble with extensive education and outreach
commitments, also performs in various venues throughout Honolulu.
Visual arts
There are various institutions supported by the state and private entities for the advancement of the visual arts. The Honolulu Academy of Arts
is endowed with the largest collection of Asian and Western art in
Hawaii. It also has the largest collection of Islamic art, housed at
the Shangri La
estate. The academy hosts a film and video program dedicated to
arthouse and world cinema in the museum's Doris Duke Theatre, named for
the academy's historic patroness Doris Duke.
The Contemporary Museum is the only contemporary art museum in the state. It has two locations: main campus in Makiki and a multi-level gallery in downtown Honolulu at the First Hawaiian Center.
The Hawaii State Art Museum
is also located in downtown Honolulu at No. 1 Capitol District Building
and boasts a collection of art pieces created by local artists as well
as traditional Hawaiian art.
The museum is administered by the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture
and the Arts. Downtown Honolulu hosts a monthly art walk on the first
Friday of each month which features the state museum, among other
galleries.
Natural museums
Recognized internationally as the premier cultural institution of Hawaii, the Bishop Museum
is the largest of Honolulu's museums. It is endowed with the state's
largest collection of natural history specimens and the world's largest
collection of Hawaiiana and Pacific culture artifacts. The Honolulu Zoo is the main zoological institution in Hawaii while the Waikiki Aquarium is a working marine biology laboratory. The Waikiki Aquarium is partnered with the University of Hawaii and other universities worldwide. Established for appreciation and botany, Honolulu is home to several gardens: Foster Botanical Garden, Liliuokalani Botanical Garden, Walker Estate, among others.
Other museums and cultural centers
- The Arts District Honolulu ([5])
is located on the eastern edge of Chinatown and in old town Honolulu.
In a span of just over 12 blocks, over 25 arts-related businesses, two
theaters, two performance art venues, an alternative movie theater, and
some of Honolulu’s trendiest nightclubs and restaurants coexist in
buildings built at the end of the19th century.
Sports
Currently, Honolulu has no professional sports teams. However, Honolulu hosts the NFL's annual Pro Bowl each February in addition to the NCAA football Hawaii Bowl. Fans of spectator sports in Honolulu generally support the football, volleyball, basketball, and baseball programs of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. High school sporting events, especially football, are especially popular. Venues for spectator sports in Honolulu include:
Honolulu's mild climate lends itself to year-round fitness activities as well. In 2004, Men's Fitness magazine named Honolulu the fittest city in the U.S. Honolulu is also home to three large road races:
Former professional franchises
Media
Newspapers
Honolulu is served by two daily newspapers: the Honolulu Advertiser and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. It is one of the few cities of its size in the U.S. to have more than one daily newspaper.
Magazines
Honolulu has the longest established magazine west of the Mississippi, Honolulu Magazine, the only city magazine in the state of Hawai‘i.
Television
-
[7]
Full Power TV Stations
(Digital channel carrier in parenthesis. KKAI and KUPU will not be digital until 2009.)
Low-power TV channels
Radio stations
-
17 AM radio stations
- 590 KSSK Adult Contemporary
- 650 KRTR Soft Adult Contemporary
- 690 KHNR Conservative Talk
- 760 KGU Religious (Hawaii's first radio station)
- 830 KHVH News/Talk
- 870 KAIM Silent
- 940 KKNE Traditional Hawaiian
- 990 KHBZ Talk
- 1040 KLHT Religious
- 1080 KWAI Talk
- 1130 KRUD New;TBA
- 1170 KORL Brokered
- 1210 KZOO Japanese Pop
- 1270 KNDI Ethnic
- 1370 KUPA Silent
- 1420 KKEA Sports
- 1460 KHRA Korean
- 1500 KUMU Talk
- 1540 KREA Korean
FM radio stations
Cable and satellite television
Oceanic-Time Warner Cable (a division of Time Warner Cable) is the primary cable television carrier in the Honolulu metropolitan area. Satellite television (DIRECTV, Dish Network, some C-Band) is also available as an alternative.
Tourist attractions
- See also: Oahu
Colleges & universities
Sister cities
Honolulu currently has 28 sister cities.[8] They are:
|
|
 - Incheon, South Korea - Kaohsiung Municipality, Taiwan - Laoag City, Philippines- - Manila, Philippines
 - Mombasa, Kenya - Montreal, Quebec, Canada[citation needed] - Mumbai, India - Naha City, Okinawa, Japan- - San Juan, Philippines
|
 - San Juan, Puerto Rico- - Santiago, Philippines
- - Seoul, South Korea
 - Sintra, Portugal- - Tokyo, Japan
- - Uwajima, Japan
- - Vigan City, Philippines
 - Zhongshan City, the People's Republic of China - Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco since 10 March 2006 - Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
|
Panorama of Honolulu's waterfront.
References
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^
Microsoft Streets and Trips 2007 Software, Copyright 2006 by Microsoft
Corp. et al. Kilometers converted to nautical and statute miles by
figures given in The World Almanic and Book of Facts 2007, Copyright
World Alamanic Education Group, p.350-353
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Honolulu: trains at last?", Railway Age (November, 1990). Retrieved on 2008-01-19.
- ^ "Honolulu's mayor ends proposal for rail line in downtown area", New York Times (June 28, 1981). Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
- ^ Leavitt, Judith A. (1985). American Women Managers and Administrators. Greenwood Press, pp. 8-9. ISBN 0313237484.
- ^ Hawaii Radio & Television Guide — Connecting the World to Hawaii’s Broadcast & Cable Media Resources
- ^ [1], List of Sister Cities for the state of Hawaii, including Honolulu, from Sister Cities International
- Honolulu Advertiser, Section B. Monday, June 7, 2004. Estimated student body size and annual tuition for selected colleges on Oahu.
External links
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