Oahu () ( Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The

Gathering Place A gathering place is any place where people are able to congregate. Gathering places may be public; for example, city streets, town squares, and parks; or private; for example, churches, coffee shops, stadiums, and theaters. Examples of gatherin ...

", is the third-largest of the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...

. It is home to roughly one million people—over two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of

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 ...

. The island of O’ahu and the

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands or Leeward Hawaiian Islands are a series of islands and atolls in the Hawaiian island chain located northwest (in some cases, far to the northwest) of the islands of Kauai and Niihau. Politically, they are all p ...

constitute the City and County of Honolulu. The state capital,

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...

, is on Oʻahu's southeast coast. Oʻahu had a population of 1,016,508 according to the 2020 U.S. Census, up from 953,207 people in 2010 (approximately 70% of the total 1,455,271 population of the State of

, with approximately 81% of those living in or near the Honolulu urban area).

Name

The Island of O{{okinaahu in

is often nicknamed (or translated as) ''"The Gathering Place"''. It appears that O{{okinaahu grew into this nickname; it is currently the most populated Hawaiian Island, however, in ancient times, O{{okinaahu was not populous and was outranked by the status of other islands. The translation of ''"gathering place"'' was suggested as recently as 1922 by Hawaiian Almanac author Thomas Thrum. It has been speculated{{By whom, date=November 2019 that Thrum ignored or misplaced the {{okinaokina because the Hawaiian phrase "''{{okinao ahu''" could be translated as ''"gathering of objects"'' (''{{okinao'' is a subject marker and ''ahu'' means ''"to gather"''). The term {{lang, haw, Oʻahu has no confirmed meaning in Hawaiian, other than that of the place itself. The city of

—largest city, state capital, and main deepwater marine

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

for the State of {{lang, haw, Hawaiʻi, italic=no—is located here. As a jurisdictional unit, the entire island of Oʻahu is in Honolulu County, although as a place name, Honolulu occupies only a portion of the southeast end of the island. Well-known features found on Oʻahu include

Waikiki Waikiki (; haw, Waikīkī; ; also known as Waikiki Beach) is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the south shore of the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Waikiki is most famous for Waikiki Beach, which is one of six beaches in the district ...

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...

, Diamond Head, {{lang, haw, Hanauma, italic=no, nocat=yes,

Kāneʻohe Bay Kāneohe Bay, at , is the largest sheltered body of water in the main Hawaiian Islands. This reef-dominated embayment constitutes a significant scenic and recreational feature along the northeast coast of the Island of Oahu. The largest populatio ...

, Kailua Bay, North Shore, and the resort destination,

Ko Olina Ko Olina Resort is a master-planned vacation and residential community on the leeward coast of Oahu, west of Honolulu. Ko Olina has of coastal frontage and includes three natural and four man-made lagoons with white-sand beaches. The master-p ...

. While the island is designated the City and County of Honolulu, excluding the minor

, residents identify settlements using town names (generally those of the

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 ...

s), and consider the island to be divided into various areas which may overlap. The most commonly accepted areas are the "City", "Town" or "Town side", which is the urbanized area from {{lang, haw, Halawa, italic=no to the area below Diamond Head (residents of the island north of the {{lang, haw, Koʻolau, italic=no, nocat=yes Mountains consider the Town Side to be the entire southern half), "West Oʻahu", which goes from Pearl Harbor to Kapolei, {{lang, haw,

ʻEwa ʻEwa was one of the original districts known as ''moku'', of the island of Oʻahu in Ancient Hawaii history. The word ''ʻewa'' means "crooked" or "ill-fitting" in Hawaiian. The name comes from the myth that the gods Kāne and Kanaloa threw a st ...

, italic=no and may include the {{lang, haw, Waiʻanae, italic=no and {{lang, haw, Mākaha, italic=no areas; the " North Shore" (northwestern coast); the " Windward Side" (northeastern coast from {{lang, haw, Kahuku, italic=no to {{lang, haw, Kāneʻohe, italic=no); the "East Side" or "East Coast" (the eastern portion of the island, from {{lang, haw, Kāneʻohe, italic=no on the northeast, around the tip of the island to include much of the area east of Diamond Head); and "The Valley" or "Central Oʻahu" which runs northwest from Pearl Harbor toward {{lang, haw, Haleʻiwa, italic=no. These terms are somewhat flexible, depending on the area in which the user lives, and are used in a mostly general way, but residents of each area identify strongly with their part of the island, especially those outside of widely-known towns. For instance, if locals are asked where they live, they would usually reply "Windward Side" rather than "

Kailua Kailua () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States. It lies in the North Koolaupoko, Hawaii, Koolaupoko District of the island of Oahu, Oahu on the windward and leeward, windward coast at Kailua Bay. It is i ...

History

{{unreferenced section, date=September 2011 Aerial view of Pearl Harbor on 1 June 1986 (6422248)

The island has been inhabited since at least the 3rd century A.D. The 304-year-old Kingdom of Oʻahu was once ruled by the most ancient aliʻi in all of the Hawaiian Islands. The first great king of Oʻahu was Maʻilikūkahi, the lawmaker, who was followed by many generation of monarchs. Kualiʻi was the first of the warlike kings and so were his sons. In 1773, the throne fell upon Kahahana, the son of Elani of Ewa. In 1783, Kahekili II, King of Maui, conquered Oʻahu and deposed the reigning family and then made his son,

Kalanikūpule Kalanikūpule (1760–1795) was the Alii nui of Maui, Mōī of Maui and King of Oahu, Oahu. He was the last king to physically fight with Kamehameha I over the Hawaiian Islands. Kalanikūpule was the last of the longest line of ''aliʻi nui'' in th ...

, king of O'ahu, turning O'ahu into a puppet state.

Kamehameha the Great 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 ...

would conquer in the mountain Kalanikūpule's force in the Battle of Nuʻuanu. Kamehameha founded the

Kingdom of Hawaiʻi The Hawaiian Kingdom, or Kingdom of Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina''), was a sovereign state located in the Hawaiian Islands. The country was formed in 1795, when the warrior chief Kamehameha the Great, of the ...

with the conquest of Oʻahu in 1795. Hawaiʻi would not be unified until the islands of

Kauaʻi Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the List of islands of th ...

and Niʻihau surrendered under King

Kaumualiʻi Kaumualiʻi (c. 1778–May 26, 1824) was the last independent aliʻi nui (supreme ruler of the island) of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau before becoming a vassal of Kamehameha I within the unified Kingdom of Hawaiʻi in 1810. He was the 23rd high chief of ...

in 1810.

Kamehameha III Kamehameha III (born Kauikeaouli) (March 17, 1814 – December 15, 1854) was the third king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1825 to 1854. His full Hawaiian name is Keaweaweula Kīwalaō Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa and then lengthened to Keaweaweula K� ...

moved his capital from

Lāhainā Lahaina ( haw, Lāhainā) is the largest census-designated place (CDP) in West Maui, Maui County, Hawaii, United States and includes the Kaanapali and Kapalua beach resorts. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a resident population of 12,702. Laha ...

Maui The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...

, Oʻahu in 1845.

ʻIolani Palace The Iolani Palace ( haw, Hale Aliʻi ʻIolani) was the royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaii beginning with Kamehameha III under the Kamehameha Dynasty (1845) and ending with Queen Liliʻuokalani (1893) under the Kalākaua Dyna ...

, built later by other members of the royal family, is still standing, and is the only royal palace on American soil. Oʻahu was apparently the first of the Hawaiian Islands sighted by the crew of HMS ''Resolution'' on January 19, 1778, during Captain

James Cook James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...

's third Pacific expedition. Escorted by HMS ''Discovery'', the expedition was surprised to find high islands this far north in the central Pacific. Oʻahu was not actually visited by Europeans until February 28, 1779, when Captain

Charles Clerke Captain Charles Clerke (22 August 1741 – 22 August 1779) was an officer in the Royal Navy who sailed on four voyages of exploration, three with Captain James Cook. When Cook was killed during his 3rd expedition to the Pacific, Clerke took co ...

aboard HMS ''Resolution'' stepped ashore at

Waimea Bay Waimea Bay is located in Haleiwa on the North Shore of O'ahu in the Hawaiian Islands at the mouth of the Waimea River. Waimea Valley extends behind Waimea Bay. ''Waimea'' means "reddish water" in Hawaiian. History Captain Charles Clerke ...

. Clerke had taken command of the ship after James Cook was killed at Kealakekua Bay (

island of Hawaiʻi 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 ...

) on February 14, and was leaving the islands for the North Pacific. With the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands came the introduction of disease, mosquitoes, and aggressive foreign animals. Although indirect, the simple exposure to these foreign species caused permanent damage to the Native Hawaiian people and environment. The

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...

, Oʻahu on the morning of December 7, 1941 brought the United States into

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The surprise attack was aimed at destroying the American will to fight and make them sue for peace immediately by attacking the Pacific Fleet of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

and its defending

Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

and Marine Air Forces. The attack damaged or destroyed twelve American warships, destroyed 188 aircraft, and resulted in the deaths of 2,335 American servicemen and 68 civilians (of those, 1,177 were the result of the destruction of the USS ''Arizona'' alone). Today, Oʻahu has become a tourism and shopping haven. Over five million visitors (mainly from the

contiguous United States The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...

and Japan) flock there every year to enjoy the island.

Climate

{, , - , {{climate chart , O‘ahu , 18, 27, 14 , 19, 27, 27 , 17, 27, 105 , 19, 30, 2 , 18, 29, 6 , 21, 31, 2 , 22, 30, 8 , 18, 28, 10 , 23, 28, 2 , 21, 28, 95 , 21, 28, 21 , 20, 25, 25 , float=left , clear=left , source = {{Cite web , url= http://neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/dataset_index.php, title= NASA Earth Observations Data Set Index, access-date = 30 January 2016 , publisher= NASA Oʻahu is also known for having the longest rain shower in history, which lasted for 200 consecutive days. Kāneʻohe Ranch reported 247 straight days with rain from August 27, 1993 to April 30, 1994. The average temperature in Oʻahu is around {{convert, 70-85, F and the island is the warmest in June through October. The weather during the winter is cooler, but still warm with an average temperature of {{convert, 68-78, F.

Geography

Oʻahu is {{convert, 44, mi, km, 0} long and {{convert, 30, mi, km, 0 across. Its shoreline is {{convert, 227, mi, km, 0} long. Including small associated islands such as

Ford Island Ford Island ( haw, Poka Ailana) is an islet in the center of Pearl Harbor, Oahu, in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It has been known as Rabbit Island, Marín's Island, and Little Goats Island, and its native Hawaiian name is ''Mokuumeume''. The isl ...

plus those in

and off the eastern ( windward) coast, its area is {{convert, 596.7, sqmi, km2, 1, making it the 20th-largest island in the United States.{{cite web , year=2004 , title=Table 5.08 – Land Area of Islands: 2000 , url=http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/info/economic/databook/db2004/section05.pdf , access-date=July 23, 2007 , publisher=State of HawaiiThe windward side is known for some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. {{lang, haw, Lanikai, italic=no, nocat=yes Beach on the windward coast of Oʻahu has been consistently ranked among the best beaches in the world. The island is composed of two separate

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: the Waiʻanae and Koʻolau Ranges, with a broad valley or saddle (the central Oʻahu Plain) between them. The highest point is

Kaʻala Kaala or Mount Kaala (pronounced in Hawaiian) is the highest mountain on the island of Oahu, at . It is a part of the Waianae Range, an eroded shield volcano on the west side of the island. The FAA maintains an active tracking station at the s ...

in the Waiʻanae Range, rising to {{convert, 4003, ft, m, 0} above sea level.{{cite web , year=2004 , title=Table 5.11 – Elevations of Major Summits , url=http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/info/economic/databook/db2004/section05.pdf , access-date=July 23, 2007 , publisher=State of Hawaii Being roughly diamond-shaped, surrounded by ocean and divided by mountain ranges, directions on Oʻahu are not generally described with the compass directions found throughout the world. Locals instead use directions originally using Honolulu as the central point. To go {{lang, haw, ʻewa means traveling toward the western tip of the island, ''"Diamond Head"'' is toward the eastern tip, {{lang, haw, mauka is inland (toward the central {{lang, haw, Koʻolau, italic=no Mountain range, north of Honolulu) and {{lang, haw, makai toward the sea. When these directions became common, Diamond Head was the eastern edge of the primary populated area. Today, with a much larger populace and extensive development, the mountain itself is often not actually to the east when directions are given, and is not to be used as a literal point of reference—to go "Diamond Head" is to go to the east from anywhere on the island.

Tourist attractions

Top beaches

* Ala Moana Beach *

Hanauma Bay Hanauma (; ) is a marine embayment formed within a tuff ring and located along the southeast coast of the Island of Oahu in the Hawaii Kai neighborhood of East Honolulu, in the Hawaiian Islands. Hanauma is one of the most popular tourist destina ...

Ko Olina Beach Park Ko Olina Beach Park is a public park on the west side of the island of Oahu, Hawaii within the Ko Olina Resort Community, part of the City and County of Honolulu. Located at the end of several high-end vacation resorts, the park is situated betw ...

* Lanikai Beach *

Papailoa Beach Papailoa Beach, otherwise known as Police Beach, is located on the north shore of the island of Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands. It has gained notoriety as a prime filming location for the popular television show Lost (TV series), ''Lost''. The pro ...

* Sandy Beach * Sunset Beach *

Waikīkī Beach Waikiki (; haw, Waikīkī; ; also known as Waikiki Beach) is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the south shore of the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Waikiki is most famous for Waikiki Beach, which is one of six beaches in the district ...

* Waimānalo Beach *

Attractions

Ala Moana Ala Moana (meaning ''path to the sea'' in Hawaiian) is a commercial, retail, and residential district of Honolulu, Hawaii. It is located between Waikiki and Moiliili to the east, and Kakaako and Honolulu Harbor to the west. King Street, to th ...

Aloha Tower The Aloha Tower is a retired lighthouse that is considered one of the landmarks of the state of Hawaii in the United States. Opened on September 11, 1926, at a then astronomical cost of $160,000, the Aloha Tower is located at Pier 9 of Honolulu Ha ...

* Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa *

Banzai Pipeline The Banzai Pipeline, or simply Pipeline or Pipe, is a surf reef break located in Hawaii, off Ehukai Beach Park in Pupukea on O'ahu's North Shore. A reef break is an area in the ocean where waves start to break once they reach the shallows of a r ...

Bishop Museum The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, designated the Hawaii State Museum of Natural and Cultural History, is a museum of history and science in the historic Kalihi district of Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. Founded in 1889, it is the lar ...

* Diamond Head *

Dole Plantation Dole plc (previously named Dole Food Company, Standard Fruit Company) is an Irish agricultural multinational corporation headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. The company is among the world's largest producers of fruit and vegetables, operating wit ...

* Foster Botanical Garden *

Kaʻena Point Kaena or Kaena Point is the westernmost tip of land on the island of Oahu. In Hawaiian, ''kaena'' means 'the heat'. The area was named after a brother or cousin of Pele. The point is designated as a Natural Area Reserve. Some ancient Hawaii ...

* Honolulu Museum of Art * Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden *

* Kualoa Ranch * Lāʻie Hawaii Temple * Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout *

Mauna ʻAla Mauna or Mouna may refer to: * ''Mauna'' (moth), genus of moths in the family Geometridae * Mauna (silence), silence in Hindu philosophy * Mauna, Käbschütztal, village in Käbschütztal, Germany * A Hawaiian word for mountain, used in the follo ...

* Makapuu Lighthouse * National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific or "Punchbowl" * North Shore *

Pali Lookout Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...

* Polynesian Cultural Center * Triple Crown of Surfing * USS ''Arizona'' Memorial * USS ''Missouri'' * Valley of the Temples Memorial Park * Waikīkī * Waikīkī Aquarium *

Waimea Valley Audubon Center Waimea Valley is an area of historic cultural significance on the North Shore (Oahu), North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. The valley, being an important place in Hawaiian religion, includes several historical structures including stone terraces and wal ...

Waimea Valley Waimea Valley is an area of historic cultural significance on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. The valley, being an important place in Hawaiian religion, includes several historical structures including stone terraces and walls constructed duri ...

{{Panorama , image = File:Hanauma Bay Panoramic View.JPG , height = 220 , alt = Hanauma Bay , caption =

In popular culture

* In the video games '' Test Drive Unlimited'' and ''

Test Drive Unlimited 2 ''Test Drive Unlimited 2'' is a 2011 open world racing video game developed by Eden Games and published by Atari for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is the sequel to the 2006 game ''Test Drive Unlimited'' and the nineteenth ent ...

'' players can drive around O'ahu island's {{convert, 1000, mi, km of road. * ''

Microsoft Flight ''Microsoft Flight'' is an amateur flight simulation from Microsoft Studios created as a spin-off of the ''Microsoft Flight Simulator'' series. The game is offered "free-to-play"; charging players for downloading extra content, aircraft or s ...

'', released in 2012 as the successor to the ''

Microsoft Flight Simulator ''Microsoft Flight Simulator'' is a series of amateur flight simulator programs for Microsoft Windows operating systems, and earlier for MS-DOS and Classic Mac OS. It was an early product in the Microsoft application portfolio and differed sig ...

'' series, was set on island of Hawaiʻi. The game had a piece of

downloadable content Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...

(DLC) called ''Hawaiian Adventure Pack''. Once purchased, it brought detail to all of the Hawaiian islands to the game, including Oʻahu. The DLC also brought new airports to land and take off from and new missions to complete, among other things. * ''Lost'' was filmed almost entirely on Oʻahu, with many locations on the island (predominantly Honolulu) serving as a stand-in for other locations (including US, Australia, UK and South Korea). Many of the show's stars still call the island home. The island's thick

rainforests Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainforest ...

and picturesque beaches are prominently featured. *

50 First Dates ''50 First Dates'' is a 2004 American romantic comedy drama film directed by Peter Segal and starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore with Rob Schneider, Sean Astin and Dan Aykroyd in supporting roles. It follows the story of Henry, a womanizing m ...

, a movie that takes place on the island. * ''

MythBusters ''MythBusters'' is a science entertainment television program, developed by Peter Rees and produced by Australia's Beyond Television Productions. The series premiered on the Discovery Channel on January 23, 2003. It was broadcast internatio ...

'' shot their 2012 Season's "Duct Tape Island" episode on this island * The South Korean

reality TV Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

series ''Father and Me'' was filmed on Oʻahu in 2016 * ''The Reimanns'', a popular German reality TV series, has been filmed on the North Shore at the family's estate in Pūpūkea since December 2015. Beginning with a contract with the US Navy in 2001,

Ocean Power Technologies Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) is a U.S. publicly owned renewable energy company, providing electric power and communications solutions, services and related for remote offshore applications. The company's PowerBuoy wave energy conversion technolo ...

began ocean-testing Azura, its wave power generation system at the

Marine Corps Base Hawaii Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), formerly Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay and originally Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, is a U.S. Marine Corps facility and air station located on the Mokapu Peninsula of windward O'ahu in the City & County ...

(MCBH) at

. The Oʻahu system was launched under the company's program with the US Navy for ocean testing and demonstration of such systems, including connection to the Oʻahu grid. The prototype can produce 20 kW, a system with 500 kW to 1 MW is planned to be installed at end of 2017. Oʻahu has 343 MW of

rooftop solar A rooftop solar power system, or rooftop PV system, is a photovoltaic (PV) system that has its electricity-generating solar panels mounted on the rooftop of a residential or commercial building or structure. The various components of such a syste ...

power, and potential for 92 MW of

wind power Wind power or wind energy is mostly the use of wind turbines to electricity generation, generate electricity. Wind power is a popular, sustainable energy, sustainable, renewable energy source that has a much smaller Environmental impact of wi ...

.Wind resource
/ref>

Notable people

2009 LPGA Championship - Michelle Wie (2)

{{Category see also, People from Oahu{{div col, colwidth=30em *

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

, 44th President of the United States *

Benny Agbayani Benny Peter Agbayani, Jr. (; born December 28, 1971) is an Americans, American retired professional baseball player. He attended Saint Louis School, Hawaii Pacific University and the Oregon Institute of Technology. He played in Major League Baseb ...

, professional baseball player *

Keiko Agena Christine Keiko Agena (born October 3, 1973) is an American actress. She is mostly known for playing Lane Kim in ''Gilmore Girls'' and NYPD medical examiner Dr. Edrisa Tanaka on FOX's crime drama ''Prodigal Son'' (2019–2021). Personal life Age ...

, actor * Gabe Baltazar, clarinet and saxophone player *

Alexandria Boehm Alexandria Boehm is an American scientist whose field of study is civil and environmental engineering. She studies sources, fate and transport of pathogens outside the human body, and coastal water quality. Boehm is a senior fellow at Stanford ...

, scientist *

Darren Brooks Darren Darnell Brooks (born August 28, 1982) is American professional basketball player. A 6'3" 205 pound (93 kg) point guard / shooting guard, Brooks' professional career began in 2005–06 and has taken him to numerous countries and leagues ...

, actor, writer, producer * Max Holloway, MMA Fighter, Former

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

Featherweight Champion *

Angelique Cabral Angelique Cabral is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Colleen Brandon-Ortega on CBS' sitcom ''Life in Pieces'' (2015–2019) and Staff Sergeant Jillian Perez on Fox's comedy television series ''Enlisted'' (2014). She has als ...

, actor *

Tia Carrere Althea Rae Duhinio Janairo (born January 2, 1967), known professionally as Tia Carrere (), is an American actress, singer and former model who got her first big break as a regular on the daytime soap opera '' General Hospital''. Carrere played C ...

, actor *

Brian Ching Brian Ching (born May 24, 1978) is an American former professional soccer player who played for twelve years in Major League Soccer and represented the U.S. national team for eight years. Ching's professional career began when he was the 16th ...

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...

Dennis Chun Dennis Chun (born March 18, 1952) is an American actor. He is the son of ''Hawaii Five-O'' star Kam Fong Chun, and portrayed Sgt. Duke Lukela in the reboot of the series, in which his father was known for playing Chin Ho Kelly from the origina ...

, actor (

Hawaii Five-0 Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * Hawaii Five-0 (2010 TV series), ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series), ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an Ame ...

), son of Kam Fong *

Bryan Clay Bryan Ezra Tsumoru Clay (born January 3, 1980) is an American decathlete who was the 2008 Summer Olympic champion for the decathlon and was also World champion in 2005. Biography Clay was born in Austin, Texas and raised in Hawaii. He is Afr ...

, Olympic decathlete 2008 *

Scott Crary Scott Crary (also known as S. A. Crary; born 1978) is an American film director, producer and writer, best known for having directed, produced, filmed and edited the film ''Kill Your Idols'', a documentary examining three decades of New York art ...

, film director and producer *

Auliʻi Cravalho Chloe Auliʻi Cravalho (; born November 22, 2000) is an American actress and singer who made her acting debut as the voice of the titular character in the 2016 Disney 3D computer-animated musical feature film '' Moana''. She went on to star in ...

, actor, singer * Mark Dacascos, actor *

Caitlin Doughty Caitlin Marie Doughty (born August 19, 1984) is an American mortician, author, blogger, YouTube personality, and advocate for death acceptance and the reform of Western funeral industry practices. She is the owner of Clarity Funerals and Cremat ...

, mortician, author and YouTube personality *

Diana Ewing Diana Ewing (born ) is an American actress. Early years Ewing was born in Honolulu. In her teenage years, she acted in plays at Punahou School and Honolulu Community Theater. She is the daughter of William H. Ewing and Marjorie A. Ewing. Her ...

, actor * Sid Fernandez, baseball *

Maile Flanagan Maile Flanagan () is an American television, film, and voice actress known for her work in cartoons, anime and video games. Some of her prominent roles include Naruto Uzumaki in the English dub of ''Naruto'', Piggley Winks in ''Jakers! The Adven ...

, actor *

Kam Fong Kam Fong Chun (born Kam Tong Chun; May 27, 1918 – October 18, 2002) was an American police officer and actor, best known for his role as Chin Ho Kelly, a police detective on the CBS television network series ''Hawaii Five-O''. Life Kam F ...

, actor *

Lauren Graham Lauren Graham (born March 16, 1967) is an American actress and author. She is best known for her roles as Lorelai Gilmore on The WB/ CW television series ''Gilmore Girls'' (2000–2007), for which she received nominations for Screen Actors Guild ...

, actor * Erin Gray, actor * Brian Grazer, Oscar-winning film and television producer *

Coco Ho Coco Malia Camille Hapaikekoa Ho (born April 28, 1991) is a professional Hawaiian surfer born in Honolulu, Hawaii. She began surfing at 7 years old, following in the footsteps of her family. Early years At age 7, Coco Ho began following in th ...

, pro surfer * Don Ho, singer *

Kelly Ann Hu Kelly Ann Hu (born February 13, 1968 ) is an American actress, voice artist, former fashion model and beauty queen who was Miss Teen USA 1985 and Miss Hawaii USA 1993. Hu starred as Dr. Rae Chang on the American television soap opera '' Sunse ...

, actor * Carrie Ann Inaba, dancer, actor, musician *

Daniel Inouye Daniel Ken Inouye ( ; September 7, 1924 – December 17, 2012) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Hawaii from 1963 until his death in 2012. Beginning in 1959, he was the first U.S. representative f ...

, US Senator, Medal of Honor recipient * Jack Johnson, musician, folk rock singer-songwriter *

Duke Kahanamoku Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku (August 24, 1890 – January 22, 1968) was a Hawaiian competition swimmer who popularized the sport of surfing. A Native Hawaiian, he was born to a minor noble family less than three years before th ...

, pro swimmer, surfer,

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

* Samuel Kamakau, historian * Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, musician *

Maxim Knight Maxim Knight (born August 21, 1999) is an American actor who started acting at the age of seven. He is perhaps best known for his supporting role on the TNT television series ''Falling Skies'' (2011–2015). Biography Maxim was born in Honolulu ...

, actor *

Olin Kreutz Olin George Kreutz (; born June 9, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a center in the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons. He played college football for University of Washington, and earned consensu ...

, football player

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

* Clyde Kusatsu, actor *

Teri Ann Linn Teri Ann Linn (born April 7, 1961) is an American actress and singer who also worked in Finland and Italy. She originated the role of Kristen Forrester Dominguez on ''The Bold and the Beautiful'', appearing regularly from 1987 to 1990, briefly ...

, actor *

Jack Lord John Joseph Patrick Ryan (December 30, 1920 – January 21, 1998), best known by his stage name, Jack Lord, was an American television, film and Broadway actor, director and producer. He starred as Steve McGarrett in the CBS television progra ...

, actor *

Marcus Mariota Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota (born October 30, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted second overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2015 NFL Draft. Mariota play ...

, NFL football player,

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...

* Markiplier (Mark Edward Fischbach), Internet personality, video game commentator * Bruno Mars, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician * Julie McCullough, actor * Zack Merrick, drummer in American rock band All Time Low *

Bette Midler Bette Midler (;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Be ...

, singer, actor, comedian * Jason Momoa, actor *

Carissa Moore Carissa Kainani Moore (born August 27, 1992) is a Hawaiian American Olympian, world champion surfer and activist. She was the first-ever winner of the Olympic Gold Medal in women's short board surfing in 2020. She was also the 2011, 2013, 2015, ...

, pro surfer *

Tahj Mowry Tahj Dayton Mowry (; born May 17, 1986) is an American actor. He is the brother of identical twin actresses Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry and is known for his role on the show ''Smart Guy'' as the main character TJ on The WB, though the show gained ...

, actor * Don Muraco, professional wrestler * Jamie O'Brien, surfer *

Ellison Onizuka was an American astronaut, engineer, and USAF test pilot from Kealakekua, Hawaii, who successfully flew into space with the Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' on STS-51-C. He died in the destruction of the Space Shuttle ''Challenger'', on which he wa ...

, NASA astronaut, STS-51-C,

STS-51-L STS-51-L was the 25th mission of the NASA Space Shuttle program and the final flight of Space Shuttle ''Challenger''. Planned as the first Teacher in Space Project flight in addition to observing Halley's Comet for six days and performing a ...

Space Shuttle Challenger disaster On January 28, 1986, the broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard. The spacecraft disintegrated above the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 11:39a.m. Eastern Time Zone, EST (1 ...

* Noelani Pantastico, ballet dancer * Janel Parrish, actor, singer * Kelly Preston, actor *

Maggie Q Margaret Denise Quigley (Vietnamese: Lý Mỹ Kỳ; born May 22, 1979), professionally known as Maggie Q, is an American actress, activist, and model. She began her professional career in Hong Kong, with starring roles in the action films ''Gen- ...

, actor * Jonah Ray, actor, comedian, writer *

Makua Rothman Makuakai (Makua) Rothman (born June 17, 1984) is an American big wave rider, professional surfer and musician. On February 28, 2015, he was crowned the 2015 Big Wave World Champion in the World Surf League's (WSL) first sanctioned Big Wave World ...

(born 1984), world champion surfer * Anthony Ruivivar, actor *

Jesse Sapolu Manase Jesse Sapolu (born March 10, 1961) is a Samoan former American football player in the National Football League. He played both center and offensive guard, and played his entire career for the San Francisco 49ers. Sapolu attended Farrington ...

, retired football player,

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Garret T. Sato Garret T. Sato (November 7, 1964 – March 25, 2020) was an American actor who was born and raised in Oahu, Hawaii. He attended Aiea High School and Leeward Community College where he took up acting. He was ''Yonsei'' (fourth generation Japanese ...

, actor *

Amanda Schull Amanda Schull is an American actress and former professional ballet dancer. She is known for her lead role in the 2000 film '' Center Stage'', and for her recurring roles on the American television series ''One Tree Hill'' and ''Pretty Little Li ...

, actor * James Shigeta, actor * Jake Shimabukuro, ʻukulele player *

Karen Steele Karen Steele (March 20, 1931 – March 12, 1988) was an American actress and model with more than 60 roles in film and television. Her most famous roles include starring as Virginia in '' Marty'', as Mrs. Lane in '' Ride Lonesome'', and as Ev ...

, actor * Don Stroud, actor * Tua Tagovailoa, NFL football player,

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...

Ronald Takaki Ronald Toshiyuki Takaki (April 12, 1939 – May 26, 2009) was an American academic, historian, ethnographer and author. Born in pre-statehood Hawaii, Takaki studied at the College of Wooster and completed his doctorate in American history at t ...

, academic, historian, ethnographer and author *

Akebono Tarō is an American-born Japanese former professional sumo wrestler and professional wrestler from Waimānalo, Hawaii. Joining sumo in Japan in 1988, he was trained by pioneering Hawaiian wrestler Takamiyama and rose swiftly up the rankings, reach ...

, sumo wrestler * Kristi Tauti, professional figure competitor and fitness model * Manti Te'o, NFL football player, Los Angeles Chargers *

Paul Theroux Paul Edward Theroux (born April 10, 1941) is an American novelist and travel writer who has written numerous books, including the travelogue, '' The Great Railway Bazaar'' (1975). Some of his works of fiction have been adapted as feature films. He ...

, author * Michelle Wie West, golf

LPGA The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at the LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekl ...

Taylor Wily Taylor Wily (born Teila Tuli, June 14, 1968) is an American actor, former sumo wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is from Laie, Hawaii and is of American Samoan descent. He is commonly known for his recurring role as Kamekona Tupuola on '' Haw ...

, actor *

Kirby Wright Kirby Michael Wright is an American writer best known for his 2005 coming-of-age island novel ''Punahou Blues'' and the epic novel ''Moloka'i Nui Ahina'', which is based on the life and times of Wright's paniolo grandmother. Both novels deal with t ...

, poet and writer *

Keone Young Keone Joseph Young is an American actor. He is best known for his television roles as Dr. Michael Kwan in ''Kay O'Brien'' (1986), Mr. Wu in '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006) and as the dual roles of Judge Robert Chong and Mr. Wan in ''The Young and th ...

, actor {{div col end

References

Citations

{{Reflist

Sources

* Doyle, David W., 2001. ''Rescue in Paradise: Oahu's Beaches and their Guardians''. Island Heritage. * Macdonald, Gordon A., Agatin T. Abbott, and Frank L. Peterson, 1983. ''Volcanoes in the Sea''.

University of Hawaiʻi Press The University of Hawaii Press is a university press that is part of the University of Hawaii. The University of Hawaii Press was founded in 1947, publishing research in all disciplines of the humanities and natural and social sciences in the r ...

, Honolulu. 517 pp. * Pukui, M. K., S. H. Elbert, and E. T. Mookini, 1976. ''Place names of Hawaiʻi''. University of Hawaiʻi Press. 289 pp.

External links

* {{commons-inline, Oahu * {{Wikivoyage-inline {{Honolulu County, Hawaii {{Hawaii {{Hawaiian volcanism {{Portalbar, Hawaii, Islands {{Authority control Articles containing video clips Geography of Honolulu County, Hawaii Islands of Hawaii

Name

History

Climate

Geography

Tourist attractions

Top beaches

Attractions

In popular culture

Notable people

See also

References

Citations

Sources

External links