Honolulu, Hawaii

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Honolulu, Hawaii
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): "Crossroads of the Pacific" and "Sheltered Bay"
Motto: Ha’aheo No ‘O Honolulu (Honolulu Pride)
Location in Honolulu County and the state of Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii Location in Hawaii
Coordinates: 21°18′32″N 157°49′34″W / 21.30889, -157.82611
Country	United States
State	Hawaii
Government
- Mayor	Mufi Hannemann
Area
- CDP	105 sq mi (272.1 km²)
- Land	85.7 sq mi (222.0 km²)
- Water	19.3 sq mi (50.1 km²)
Elevation	0 ft (Sea Level 0 m)
Population (2000)
- CDP	371,657
- Metro	909,863
Time zone	Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (UTC-10)
Zip Code	96801-96825
Area code(s)	808
FIPS code	15-17000
GNIS feature ID	0366212
Website: http://www.honolulu.gov/

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 as seen from the International Space Station.

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.