Hilo () is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) and the largest settlement in

Hawaii County Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, which encompasses the

Island of Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii ) is the largest island in the United States, located in the state of Hawaii. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean. With an area of , it has 63% of th ...

. The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. It is the fourth-largest settlement in the state of Hawaii and largest settlement in the state outside of

Oahu Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...

. Hilo is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of the County of Hawaii and is in the District of South Hilo. The city overlooks

Hilo Bay Hilo Bay is a large bay located on the eastern coast of the island of Hawaii. Description The modern town of Hilo, Hawaii overlooks Hilo Bay, located at . North of the bay runs the Hamakua Coast on the slopes of Mauna Kea, and south of the bay ...

and has views of two

shield volcano A shield volcano is a type of volcano named for its low profile, resembling a warrior's shield lying on the ground. It is formed by the eruption of highly fluid (low viscosity) lava, which travels farther and forms thinner flows than the more v ...

es,

Mauna Loa Mauna Loa ( or ; Hawaiian: ; en, Long Mountain) is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The largest subaerial volcano (as opposed to subaqueous volcanoes) in both mass and ...

, an

active volcano An active volcano is a volcano which is either erupting or is likely to erupt in the future. An active volcano which is not currently erupting is known as a dormant volcano. Overview Tlocene Epoch. Most volcanoes are situated on the Pacific Ri ...

, and

Mauna Kea Mauna Kea ( or ; ; abbreviation for ''Mauna a Wākea''); is a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii. Its peak is above sea level, making it the highest point in the state of Hawaii and second-highest peak of an island on Earth. The peak is ...

, a

dormant volcano A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...

. Mauna Kea is the site of some of the world's most important ground-based astronomical

observatories An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...

. The Hilo bay-front has been destroyed by

tsunami A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explo ...

s twice. The majority of human settlement in Hilo stretches from Hilo Bay to

Waiākea-Uka Waiākea-Uka (IPA:/'waj.ə.kei.ə.'u.kə/) is an ancient subdivision ('' ahupuaa'') in the Hilo District of the Big Island of Hawaii, located mauka (mountain-side) of the Waiākea ahupua'a; its location is on the lower flanks of the volcano Maun ...

, on the flanks of the volcanoes. Hilo is home to the

University of Hawaii at Hilo A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

ʻImiloa Astronomy Center ʻImiloa Astronomy Center is an astronomy and culture education center located in Hilo, Hawaii. Conceived by founding Director George Jacob in 2001, it features exhibits and shows dealing with Hawaiian culture and history, astronomy (particularl ...

, as well as the

Merrie Monarch Festival The Merrie Monarch Festival is a week-long cultural festival that takes place annually in Hilo, Hawaii during the week after Easter. It honors King David Kalākaua, who was called the "Merrie Monarch" for his patronage of the arts and is cre ...

, a week-long celebration, including three nights of competition, of ancient and modern

hula Hula () is a Hawaiian dance form accompanied by chant (oli) or song (Mele (Hawaiian language), mele). It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Native Hawaiians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of t ...

that takes place annually after

Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...

. Hilo is also home to the

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation is the world's largest processor of macadamia seeds. The American company was a subsidiary of The Hershey Company from 2004 to 2015, when it was acquired by Hawaiian Host, Inc. The company takes its name from ...

, one of the world's leading producers of

macadamia ''Macadamia'' is a genus of four species of trees in the flowering plant family Proteaceae. They are indigenous to Australia, native to northeastern New South Wales and central and southeastern Queensland specifically. Two species of the genus ...

nuts. Hilo is served by

Hilo International Airport Hilo International Airport , formerly General Lyman Field, is an international airport located in Hilo, Hawaii County, Hawaii. Owned and operated by the Hawaii state Department of Transportation, it is one of two major airports on Hawaii Island ...

History

Around 1100 AD, the first Hilo inhabitants arrived, bringing with them

Polynesia Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...

n knowledge and traditions. Although archaeological evidence is scant,

oral history Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people wh ...

has many references to people living in Hilo, along the

Wailuku Wailuku is a census-designated place (CDP) in and county seat of Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 17,697 at the 2020 census. Wailuku is located just west of Kahului, at the mouth of the Iao Valley. In the early 20th centur ...

and Wailoa rivers during the time of

ancient Hawaii Ancient Hawaii is the period of Hawaiian history preceding the unification in 1810 of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great. Traditionally, researchers estimated the first settlement of the Hawaiian islands as having occurred sporadicall ...

. Oral history gives the meaning of ''Hilo'' as "to twist". Originally, the name "Hilo" applied to a district encompassing much of the east coast of the

island of Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii ) is the largest island in the United States, located in the state of Hawaii. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean. With an area of , it has 63% of th ...

, now divided into the District of South Hilo and the District of North Hilo. When William Ellis visited in 1823, the main settlement there was Waiākea on the south shore of

. Missionaries came to the district in the early-to-middle 19th century, founding

Haili Church The Waiākea Mission Station was the first Christian mission on the eastern side of the Island of Hawaii. Also known as the Hilo Station, the latest structure is now called Haili Church. The first mission The American missionaries Asa Thurston ...

. Hilo expanded as

sugar plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

s in the surrounding area created jobs and drew in many workers from

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

. For example, by 1887, 26,000 Chinese workers worked in Hawai'i's sugar cane plantations, one of which was the Hilo Sugar Mill. At that time, the Hilo Sugar Mill produced 3,500 tons of sugar annually. A breakwater across Hilo Bay was begun in the first decade of the 20th century and completed in 1929. On April 1, 1946, an 8.6-magnitude earthquake near the

Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands (; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin,”Land of the Aleuts", possibly from Chukchi language, Chukchi ''aliat'', "island"), also called the Aleut Islands or Aleutic Islands and known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, are a cha ...

created a

that hit Hilo 4.9 hours later, killing 160 people. In response, an early warning system, the

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) is one of two tsunami warning centers that are operated by NOAA in the United States. Headquartered on Ford Island, HI, the PTWC is part of an international tsunami warning system (TWS) program and s ...

, was established in 1949 to track these killer waves and provide warning. This tsunami also caused the end of the

Hawaii Consolidated Railway The Hawaii Consolidated Railway (HCR), originally named the Hilo Railroad Company, was a standard gauge common carrier railroad that served much of the east coast of the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii (The Big Island) from 1899 until 1946, wh ...

, and instead the

Hawaii Belt Road The Hawaii Belt Road is a modern name for the Māmalahoa Highway and consists of Hawaii state Routes 11, 19, and 190 that encircle the Island of Hawaii. The southern section, between Hilo and Kailua-Kona is numbered as Route 11. The section betw ...

was built north of Hilo using some of the old railbed. On May 22, 1960, another tsunami, caused by a 9.5-magnitude earthquake off the coast of

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

that day, claimed 61 lives, allegedly due to the failure of people to heed warning sirens. Low-lying bayfront areas of the city on Waiākea peninsula and along Hilo Bay, previously populated, were rededicated as parks and memorials. Hilo expanded inland beginning in the 1960s. The downtown found a new role in the 1980s as the city's cultural center with several galleries and museums opening; the Palace Theater reopened in 1998 as an

arthouse cinema An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primaril ...

. Closure of the sugar plantations (including those in

Hāmākua Hāmākua is a district on the northeast coast of Hawaii's Big Island, administered by the County of Hawaii in the state of Hawaii. It is also the name given for the coastline in the region, the "Hāmākua Coast". Description Hāmākua's coast i ...

) during the 1990s hurt the local economy, coinciding with a general statewide slump. Hilo in recent years has seen commercial and population growth.

Geography

Hilo is on the eastern and windward side of the island. It is classified by the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

as a

(CDP), and has a total area of , of which is land and of which (8.4%) is water.

Climate

Hilo has a

tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate, humid tropical climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southea ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Af''), with substantial rainfall throughout the year. Its location on the

windward Windward () and leeward () are terms used to describe the direction of the wind. Windward is ''upwind'' from the point of reference, i.e. towards the direction from which the wind is coming; leeward is ''downwind'' from the point of reference ...

coast (relative to the

trade wind The trade winds or easterlies are the permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisph ...

s), makes it the fourth-wettest city in the United States, behind the

southeast Alaska Southeast Alaska, colloquially referred to as the Alaska(n) Panhandle, is the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska, bordered to the east and north by the northern half of the Canadian province of British Columbia (and a small part ...

n cities of Whittier,

Ketchikan Ketchikan ( ; tli, Kichx̱áan) is a city in and the borough seat of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough of Alaska. It is the state's southeasternmost major settlement. Downtown Ketchikan is a National Historic District. With a population at the 202 ...

and Yakutat, and one of the wettest in the world. An average of around of rain fell at Hilo International Airport annually between 1981 and 2010, with 272 days of the year receiving some rain. Rainfall in Hilo varies with altitude, with more at higher elevations. At some weather stations in upper Hilo the annual rainfall is above . Monthly mean temperatures range from in February to in August. The highest recorded temperature was on May 20, 1996, and the lowest on February 21, 1962. The wettest year was 1994 with , and the driest was 1983, with . The most rainfall in one month was in December 1954. The most rainfall in 24 hours was on November 2, 2000. Hilo's location on the shore of the funnel-shaped

also makes it vulnerable to

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2020, 44,186 people lived in 16,225 households in the census-designated place. The population density was . The 16,905 housing units reflected an average density of in 2010 (No update on the Census for 2020). The racial makeup was 32%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 18.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 10% Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander, 0.8%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.1% American Indian & Alaska Native, 0.6% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 38.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 13% of the population. 21.1% of the households had children under the age of 18 living with them. The average household size was 2.71. The age distribution was 21.1% under age 18, 4.5% under age 5, and 21.10% 65 or older. The percent of females are 51.1%. The median household income on the 2020 census was $65,727.

Transport

Air

Hilo is served by

, where

Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiian Airlines ( haw, Hui Mokulele o Hawaiʻi ) is the largest operator of commercial flights to and from the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is the tenth-largest commercial airline in the United States, and is based at Honolulu, Hawaii. The airl ...

Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines Co., typically referred to as Southwest, is one of the major airlines of the United States and the world's largest low-cost carrier. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has scheduled service to 121 destinations in the U ...

, and

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

operate.

Bus

Hilo is served by the county

Hele-On Bus Hele-On Bus is the public transport bus service provided by the County of Hawaii on the Big Island, Hawaii, United States. It serves a limited number of routes on limited frequency. History Prior to 1976, public transport in the Hilo area was pr ...

Maritime

Hilo is served by the Big Island's largest harbor, Hilo Harbor, which is on

Education

Hilo is home to a number of educational institutions, including two post-secondary institutions, the

and

Hawaii Community College Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

, and the Hilo and Waiakea primary and secondary school districts. Charter schools in the area serve primary and secondary students.

Government

Although sometimes called a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

, Hilo is not an incorporated city, and does not have a municipal government. The entire island, which is between the slightly larger state of

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

and smaller

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

in size, is under the jurisdiction of the

County of Hawaii Hawaii County ( haw, Kalana o Hawaiʻi) (officially known as the County of Hawaii) is a county in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Hawaiian Islands. It is coextensive with the Island of Hawaii, often called the "Big Island" to distinguish it fro ...

, of which Hilo is the county seat. Hilo is home to county, state, and federal offices.

Economy

The oldest city in the Hawaiian archipelago, Hilo's economy was historically based on the

sugar plantations A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

of its surrounding areas, prior to their closure in the 1990s.

Tourism and events

While Hilo has a fairly significant tourism sector, it gets less than half the annual visitors as the western coast of the Big Island, which has much sunnier weather and significantly less rain, with sandy and swimmable beaches and numerous major resorts. A main source of tourism in Hilo is the annual week-long

, the world's preeminent

competition and festival, which brings in visitors and participants from all over the world. It is held in the spring of each year beginning on Easter Sunday. The local orchid society hosts the largest and most comprehensive orchid show in the state, the annual Hilo Orchid Show, which has been presented since 1951 and draws visitors and entrants worldwide. Hilo is home to Hawaii's only tsunami museum, mostly dedicated to the 1946 Pacific tsunami, and is notable for the

banyan tree A banyan, also spelled "banian", is a fig that develops accessory trunks from adventitious prop roots, allowing the tree to spread outwards indefinitely. This distinguishes banyans from other trees with a strangler habit that begin life as a ...

s planted by

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( , born July 24, 1897; disappeared July 2, 1937; declared dead January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer and writer. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many oth ...

and other celebrities. It is home to the Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo, shopping centers, cafés and other eateries, movie theaters, hotels, restaurants, and a developed downtown area with a Farmers Market. Downtown Hilo is bounded approximately by the

Wailuku River The Wailuku River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 28, 2011 water course on the Island of Hawaii in the Hawaiian Islands. It is the longest river in Hawai'i and ...

, Kamehameha Avenue, Ponahawai Street, and Kapiolani Street.

Corporations and science

The

is in Hilo, south of the main town off

Hawaii Route 11 Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

, north of

Keaau Keaau (also written as Keaau) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaii County, Hawaii. located in the District of Puna. The population was 1,195 at the time of the 2020 census. The population decreased by 12.1% from 2,253 at the time of the ...

. Hilo is home to most of the

astronomical observatories An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...

as well as the ʻImiloa Planetarium and Museum. Astronomy has an economic impact of $100 million annually on the island. Astronomy on Mauna Kea was developed at the invitation of the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce following the collapse of the sugar cane industry.

Culture

East Hawaii Cultural Center The East Hawaii Cultural Center (EHCC) is an art gallery, community theater, and cultural center in downtown Hilo, Hawaii. EHCC features regular art exhibitions with free or suggested donation entry to the general public. Administered by the Ea ...

Lyman House Memorial Museum The Lyman House Memorial Museum, also known as the Lyman Museum and Lyman House, is a Hilo, Hawaii-based natural history museum founded in 1931 in the Lyman family mission house, originally built in 1838. The main collections were moved to an ad ...

Pacific Tsunami Museum The Pacific Tsunami Museum (originally, the Hilo Tsunami Museum) is a museum in Hilo, Hawaii dedicated to the history of the April 1, 1946 Pacific tsunami and the May 23, 1960 Chilean tsunami which devastated much of the east coast of the Big I ...

Notables

* Rodney Anoai *

Matt Blair Albert Matthew Blair (September 20, 1950 – October 22, 2020) was an American professional football player who was an outside linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) for all 12 seasons of his career from 1974 ...

Keiko Bonk Keiko Cecilia Bonk (born 1954) is an American artist, musician and politician from Hawaii. Bonk co-founded the Hawaii Green Party and was the first person in North America elected to a partisan level office as a member of the Green Party of the ...

Ed Case Edward Espenett Case (born September 27, 1952) is an American lawyer and Democratic politician serving as the U.S. representative for Hawaii's 1st congressional district, which covers the urban core of Honolulu. He represented the 2nd distric ...

Titus Coan Titus Coan (February 1, 1801 – December 1, 1882) was an American minister from New England who spent most of his life as a Christian missionary to the Hawaiian Islands. Early life and family Titus Coan was born on February 1, 1801 in Killingwort ...

Keenan Cornelius Keenan Kai-James Cornelius is an American martial artist. His competitive achievements include what has been called a "grand slam" in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, having won double ...

Glenn Cornick Glenn Douglas Barnard Cornick (23 April 1947 – 28 August 2014) was an English bass guitarist, best known as the original bassist for the British rock band Jethro Tull from 1967 to 1970. ''Rolling Stone'' has called his playing with Tull as " ...

* Kai Correa *

Wesley Correira Wesley John Correira Jr. (born November 11, 1978), nicknamed Cabbage, is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight and super heavyweight divisions. An iron chinned brawler, Correira began his career in 2000 and came to pr ...

Jennifer Doudna Jennifer Anne Doudna (; born February 19, 1964) is an American biochemist who has done pioneering work in CRISPR gene editing, and made other fundamental contributions in biochemistry and genetics. Doudna was one of the first women to share a ...

David McHattie Forbes David McHattie Forbes (21 July 1863 – 23 March 1937) was a Scottish botanist, ethnologist, sugarcane plantation manager and explorer on the island of Hawai'i. He practised forestry, agronomy, and horticulture and served as the first district ...

Ryan Higa Ryan Higa (born June 6, 1990), also known as nigahiga ( ), is an American Internet personality. Best known for his comedy videos on YouTube, Higa began making YouTube videos in 2006 and was one of the most popular creators on the platform in it ...

* High Chiefess Kapiolani *

Keōua Kūahuula Keōua Kalanikupuapaīkalaninui Ahilapalapa, sometimes called Keōua Nui ("Keōua the Great") (died c. 1750s–1760s) was an Ancient Hawaiian noble and the father of Kamehameha I, the first King of united Hawaii. He was progenitor of the Hou ...

* Harry Kim *

Kimberly Kim Kimberly Kim (born August 23, 1991) is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. Amateur career Kim was born in Hilo, Hawaii. She attended the University of Denver in 2009–10, leading the team with a 73.67 scoring average an ...

Darren Kimura Darren T. Kimura (born September 10, 1974, Hilo, Hawaii) is an American businessman, inventor, and investor. He is best known as the inventor of Micro Concentrated solar power (CSP) technology otherwise known as MicroCSP. Life Kimura was born to ...

* Kinooleoliliha *

Robert Kiyosaki Robert Toru Kiyosaki (born April 8, 1947) is an Japanese-American, American entrepreneur, businessman and author. Kiyosaki is the founder of Rich Global LLC and the Rich Dad, Rich Dad Company, a private financial education company that provides ...

George Lycurgus George Lycurgus ( grc-gre, Γεώργιος Λυκούργος) (1858–1960) was a Greek American businessman who played an influential role in the early tourist industry of Hawaii. After Queen Lili`uokalani was overthrown in a coup by the Commit ...

Troy Mandaloniz ''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra'' was the sixth season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter'', and premiered on September 19, 2007 on Spike TV, after ''UFC Fight ...

George Naope George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...

Gerald Okamura Gerald Okamura (born 1940) is an American martial artist and stuntman. Career Okamura began his martial arts with judo in 1953. He has practiced kendo, aikido, taekwondo, and he is currently a 5th degree black belt in Kung Fu San Soo (his s ...

B.J. Penn Jay Dee "B.J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. Penn competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and in K-1. Penn was the first American Go ...

Benjamin Pitman Benjamin Pitman (July 24, 1822 – December 28, 1910), also known as Benn Pitman, was an English-born author and popularizer in the United States of Pitman shorthand, a form of what was then called phonography (shorthand). He was also active i ...

Bob Shane Robert Castle Schoen (February 1, 1934 – January 26, 2020), known professionally as Bob Shane, was an American singer and guitarist who was a founding member of The Kingston Trio. In that capacity, Shane became a seminal figure in the revi ...

William Herbert Shipman William Herbert Shipman (1854–1943) was a businessman with an American background who was from Hawaii. He grew up and conducted his business on the island of Hawaii. One estate of his family was used to preserve the nēnē, an endangered species ...

Kolten Wong Kolten Kaha Wong (born October 10, 1990) is an American professional baseball second baseman for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers. He made his ...

Points of interest

Banyan Drive Banyan Drive is a tree-lined street at the shoreline of Hilo, Hawaii. It is known as the "Hilo Walk of Fame" for the banyan trees planted by celebrities. These trees have withstood several tsunamis that have devastated the town on the Hawaii (islan ...

Coconut Island Coconut Island may refer to: * Coconut Island (Florida) * Coconut Island (Hawaii Island), in Hilo Bay * Coconut Island (Oahu Island), in Kaneohe Bay * Coconut Island (Queensland) * another name for St. Martin's Island, Bangladesh See also * Co ...

Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden The Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden (17 acres) is a nonprofit botanical garden and nature preserve located on the 4 mile scenic route off of Route 19 at 27-717 Old Māmalahoa Highway, Pāpa'ikou, Hawaii (island), Hawaii. It is open da ...

Hilo Tropical Gardens Hilo Tropical Gardens (2 acres), located at 1477 Kalanianaole Avenue, Hilo, Hawaii, Hawaii was a privately run botanical garden with a guest house for budget travelers. See also * List of botanical gardens in the United States This list is i ...

Hoʻolulu Park Hoolulu Park (officially the Hoolulu Park Complex; sometimes shortened to Hoolulu Complex) is a park and recreation center operated by the County of Hawaii in Hilo, Hawaii, east of the Wailoa River State Recreation Area and downtown Hilo, and wes ...

* James Kealoha Beach Park *

Kalakaua Park Kalākaua Park is the central "town square" of the city of Hilo, Hawaii. It is surrounded by historic buildings and includes a war memorial. History The area was originally the site of the first Christian Mission in the area known as Waiakea Mis ...

Liliuokalani Park and Gardens Pagoda and Torii in Liliu'okalani Gardens Liliuokalani Park and Gardens is a park with Japanese gardens, located on Banyan Drive in Hilo on the island of Hawaii. The park's site was donated by Queen Liliuokalani, and lies southeast of downtown ...

Lower Waiakea Mountain Bicycle Park Lower Waiakea Mountain Bicycle Park is the state of Hawai‘i's first bicycle park created by Big Island Mountain Biking Association. The park is located off of Stainback highway, approximately 1.5 miles west of Pana'ewa Zoo off Quarry Road. A ...

Lyman Museum The Lyman House Memorial Museum, also known as the Lyman Museum and Lyman House, is a Hilo, Hawaii-based natural history museum founded in 1931 in the Lyman family mission house, originally built in 1838. The main collections were moved to an adj ...

Mokupāpapa Discovery Center The S. Hata Building is a historic structure in Hilo, Hawaii built by Japanese businessman Hata Sadanosuke (1868 - ?) in 1912. It now contains specialty shops, professional offices, and a Cafe Pesto restaurant. Hata family Hata Sadanosuke was ...

for Northwestern Hawaii's remote coral reefs *

Nani Mau Gardens Nani Mau Gardens (20 acres) are commercial botanical gardens located at 421 Makalika Street, Hilo, Hawaii on the island of Hawaii, coordinates . The gardens' name, Nani Mau, means "forever beautiful". They were established by Makato Nitahara and ...

* Naha Stone (associated with

Kamehameha I Kamehameha I (; Kalani Paiea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiikui Kamehameha o Iolani i Kaiwikapu kaui Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea; – May 8 or 14, 1819), also known as Kamehameha the Great, was the conqueror and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii. T ...

) in front of the Hilo Public Library *

* Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo *

Prince Kuhio Plaza Prince Kūhiō Plaza is a single-level regional shopping mall in Hilo, Hawaii. It is the largest enclosed mall on the Island of Hawaii. Anchor stores are Sears, two Macy's stores, TJ Maxx, and Petco. Other major tenants include a 9-screen movie th ...

* Rainbow Falls (Waianuenue) & Boiling Pots on the

University of Hawaii at Hilo Botanical Gardens The University of Hawaii at Hilo Botanical Gardens are botanical gardens on the University of Hawaii at Hilo campus, located at 470 W Lanikaula St, Hilo, Hawaii on the island of Hawaii. They are open daily without charge. The gardens were establ ...

Wailoa River State Recreation Area The Wailoa River State Recreation Area, also known as Wailoa River State Park, is a park in Hilo, on Hawaii Island in the US state of Hawaii. It was developed as a buffer zone following the devastating 1960 tsunami that wiped out the central bay ...

with King

Kamehameha Statue Several ''Kamehameha'' statues honor the monarch who founded the Kingdom of Hawaii. Original work The pictured statue stands prominently in front of Aliiolani Hale in Honolulu, Hawaii. The statue had its origins in 1878 when Walter M. Gibso ...

Media

Hilo is served by KWXX (94.7FM Hilo/101.5FM Kona), B93/B97 (93.1FM Kona/97.1FM Hilo), The Wave (KHBC 92.7FM Hilo), and KPUA (970AM Hilo) radio stations. Public Access television is provided throug
Nā Leo TV
The ''

Hawaii Tribune-Herald ''Hawaii Tribune-Herald'' is a daily newspaper based in Hilo, Hawaii. It is owned and published by Oahu Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press. History The ''Hilo Tribune'' began publication on November 23, 1895, and changed its name to ...

'', of Oahu Publications Inc., a subsidiary of

Black Press Black Press Group Ltd. is a Canadian publisher of prominent daily newspapers in Hawaii and Alaska and numerous non-daily newspapers in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada, and (via Sound Publishing) the U.S. state of Washington. Black Press M ...

, is Hilo's primary newspaper distribution company along with other newspapers like the ''

Honolulu Star-Advertiser The ''Honolulu Star-Advertiser'' is the largest daily newspaper in Hawaii, formed in 2010 with the merger of ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' and the ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'' after the acquisition of the former by Black Press, which already owned the ...

''.

Sister cities

Tauranga Tauranga () is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty region and the fifth most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of , or roughly 3% of the national population. It was settled by Māori late in the 13th century, colonised by ...

, New Zealand * La Serena, Chile

Legacy

Asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...

(342431) Hilo is named after Hilo.

Hilo District

Hilo also referred to the District of Hilo when the Big Island was divided into six districts by the traditional '' moku'' land division. Hilo is now divided in two: North and South Hilo Districts.

North Hilo District

The District of North Hilo, along

Hawaii State Highway 19 The Hawaii Belt Road is a modern name for the Māmalahoa Highway and consists of Hawaii state Routes 11, 19, and 190 that encircle the Island of Hawaii. The southern section, between Hilo and Kailua-Kona is numbered as Route 11. The section betw ...

from north to south, encompasses the following unincorporated towns and localities: * ʻŌʻōkala * Laupāhoehoe and the Train Museum * Ninole There are locations inland along State Highway 200 including

mountain road, Puu Huluhulu, and others.

South Hilo District

In the District of South Hilo, along State Highway 19, are the following unincorporated towns and localities: *

Honalo Honalo is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 2,423 at the 2010 census, up from 1,987 at the 2000 census. Geography Honalo is located on the western side of the island of Hawaii at (19. ...

and the

Akaka Falls Daniel Kahikina Akaka (; September 11, 1924 – April 6, 2018) was an American educator and politician who served as a United States Senate, United States Senator from Hawaii from 1990 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), De ...

Pepeekeo Pepeekeo ( haw, Pepeekeo) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 1,789 at the 2010 census, up from 1,697 at the 2000 census. Geography Pepeekeo is located on the east side of the island ...

* Wainaku *

, the

and the Rainbow Falls * Hilo downtown:

, etc. Along State Highway 11 are: *

* King Kuhio Shopping Center * Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo There are other locations. Along State Highway 200 and its extension are: * Kaumana *

* Puainako Shopping Center There are other locations.

References

External links

Pacific Tsunami Museum
{{Authority control County seats in Hawaii Census-designated places in Hawaii County, Hawaii Populated coastal places in Hawaii