Honolulu County (), officially known as the City and County of Honolulu (formerly ''Oahu County''), is a

consolidated city-county In local government in the United States, United States local government, a consolidated city-county (#Terminology, see below for alternative terms) is formed when one or more city, cities and their surrounding County (United States), county (Lis ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

, one of five counties in the state. The city-county includes both Urban Honolulu (the state's

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

and largest community) and the rest of the neighborhoods on the island of Oʻahu, as well as several minor outlying islands, including all of the

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands also known as the Leeward Hawaiian Islands, are a series of islands and atolls located northwest of Kauai and Niihau, Niihau in the Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian island chain. Politically, these islands are part of ...

(islands beyond

Niihau Niihau (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ), anglicized as Niihau ( ), is the seventh largest island in Hawaii and the westernmost of the main islands. It is southwest of Kauai, Kauai across the Channels of the Hawaiian Islands#Kaulakahi Channel, Ka ...

) except

Midway Atoll Midway Atoll (colloquialism, colloquial: Midway Islands; ; ) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the United States and is an Insular area#Unorganized unincorporated territories, unorganized and unincorpo ...

. The

was established in the

city charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally, the granting of a charter ...

adopted in 1907 and accepted by the

Legislature A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial power ...

of the

Territory of Hawaii The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi'') was an organized incorporated territories of the United States, organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from Apri ...

. As a

municipal corporation Municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally o ...

and

jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' and 'speech' or 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, the concept of jurisdiction applies at multiple level ...

it manages aspects of

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

traditionally exercised by both municipalities and counties in the rest of the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,016,508. Because of Hawaii's municipal structure, the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

divides Honolulu County into several

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...

s for statistical purposes. The mayor of Honolulu County is Rick Blangiardi. The county motto is "Haaheo No O Honolulu (Honolulu Pride)". About 70% of the state's population lives in Honolulu County. Only

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

has a higher percentage of its population living in its most populous county. 43.0% of residents identify as Asian or Asian American, the highest of any U.S. county.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (71.8%) is water. However, the majority of this area is the Pacific Ocean that surrounds the islands. At over from end to end, it is by a significant margin the widest county in the United States.

Adjacent counties

Maui County Maui County (), officially the County of Maui, is a county in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It consists of the islands of Maui, Lānai, Molokai (except for a portion of Molokai that comprises Kalawao County), Kahoolawe, and Molokini. The latter ...

- southeast * Kauai County - northwest of population center

National protected areas

* James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge * Oʻahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge *

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) (roughly ) is a World Heritage Site, World Heritage listed National monument (United States), U.S. national monument encompassing of ocean waters, including ten islands and atolls of th ...

* Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge *

USS Arizona Memorial The USS ''Arizona'' Memorial, at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed on during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and commemorates the events of that day. The ...

Government

Local government

Honolulu County is administered under a mayor–council system of governance overseeing municipal services: civil defense, emergency medical, fire, parks and recreation, police, sanitation, transportation, and water, among others. For 2013, the county has an annual operating budget of

US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...

2.16 billion. The

of Honolulu County has three major divisions of municipal power: *The mayor of Honolulu is the principal executor of administrative authority. The mayor is elected on a non-partisan basis to a four-year term. *The

Honolulu City Council Honolulu City Council is the legislature of the City and County of Honolulu, the capital and largest city in Hawai'i, the fiftieth state in the United States. The City and County of Honolulu is a municipal corporation that manages government a ...

is the unicameral legislative body. Its elected members are responsible for drafting and passing laws, as well as budgets for various departments. The council is independent of the mayor. The nine council members each represent an administrative district (listed below) and are elected on a non-partisan basis to staggered four-year terms. *The Prosecuting Attorney of Honolulu is charged with prosecuting criminal offenses committed within the county. The prosecuting attorney is elected on a non-partisan basis to a four-year term. The office is not charged with providing legal counsel to the other branches; that duty is a responsibility of the Department of Corporation Counsel, under mayoral jurisdiction. Honolulu County is divided into 36 neighborhood boards. The office of neighborhood board member is an advisory position for public policy and civil investment. Members are elected to two-year terms.

County districts

Honolulu County has nine districts, each of which elects a member of the city-county council. The boundaries of each district are revised every ten years in conjunction with the U.S. Census. * District I: Portions of ʻEwa Beach, Kapolei, Ho‘opili, Makakilo, Kalaeloa, Honokai Hale, Ko ‘Olina, Nānākuli, Mā‘ili, Wai‘anae, Mākaha, Kea‘au, and Mākua * District II: Waikele, Village Park, Royal Kunia, Wahiawā, Mokulē‘ia, Waialua, Hale‘iwa, Pūpūkea, Sunset Beach, Kahuku, Lā‘ie, Hau‘ula, Punalu‘u, Kahana, Ka‘a‘awa, Kualoa, Waiāhole, and Kahalu‘u * District III: ‘ Āhuimanu, He‘eia, Ha‘ikū, Kāne‘ohe, Maunawili, Kailua, Olomana, Enchanted Lake, and Waimānalo * District IV: Hawai‘i Kai, Kuli‘ou‘ou, Niu Valley, ‘Āina Haina, Wailupe, Wai‘alae Iki, Kalani Valley, Kāhala, Wilhemina Rise, Kaimukī, Kapahulu, Diamond Head, and Waikīkī * District V: Palolo Valley, St. Louis Heights, Mānoa, Mōʻiliʻili,

McCully McCully is a variation of McCulloch, a common surname of Scottish origin. McCully may refer to the following people: * Charlie McCully (1947-2007), Scottish-born American soccer player * Ed McCully (1927-1956), American missionary * Emily Arnold ...

, Ala Moana, Makiki, and portions of Kakaʻako * District VI: Portions of Kakaʻako,

Downtown Honolulu Downtown Honolulu is the current historic, economic, and governmental center of Honolulu, the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is bounded by Nuuanu Stream to the west, Ward Avenue to the east, Vineyard Boulevard to the n ...

, Punchbowl, Papakolea, Pauoa Valley, Nu‘uanu, Iwilei, Liliha, ‘Ālewa Heights, Kalihi and

Kalihi Valley Kalihi is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi, United States. Split by Likelike Highway (Route 63), it is flanked by Liliha, Chinatown, and Downtown Honolulu to the east and Mapunapuna, Moanalua, and Salt Lake to ...

* District VII: Kalihi Kai, Māpunapuna, Fort Shafter, Moanalua,

Salt Lake A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts (typically sodium chloride) and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least three grams of salt per liter). I ...

Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...

, Hickam, Āliamanu, Foster Village, Pearl Harbor, Hālawa, ‘Aiea, Pearlridge, Mokuʻumeʻume, and Sand Island * District VIII: Portions of ‘Aiea, Waimalu, Newtown, Pearl City, Seaview, Crestview, Waipi‘o Gentry, Koa Ridge, Mililani Town, and Mililani Mauka * District IX: Waipahū, Iroquois Point, West Loch, ʻEwa Villages and portions of ʻEwa Beach

Civic center

The

civic center A civic center or civic centre is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or center. It usually contains of one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government building. Recently, ...

is coextensive with what is known as the Capitol District in

downtown Honolulu Downtown Honolulu is the current historic, economic, and governmental center of Honolulu, the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is bounded by Nuuanu Stream to the west, Ward Avenue to the east, Vineyard Boulevard to the n ...

. The official seat of governance for the Honolulu County is located within the district at Honolulu Hale, established in the 1920s as a city hall structure and houses the chambers of the mayor of Honolulu and the Honolulu City Council. In the 1960s and 1970s, Mayor Frank Fasi developed the modern civic center as it is known today. He took controversial and aggressive measures to reclaim property, demolish massive concrete structures in the area, construct underground parking facilities and open a green campus above ground with manicured lawns and specially commissioned sculpted artwork. He also oversaw the construction of new government buildings, to house the departments that fell within mayoral jurisdiction. The most prominent of those new buildings were the Honolulu Municipal Building and Hale Makai, the headquarters of the Honolulu Police Department. Civic centers were also constructed off the Capitol District campus, including the Kapiolani Bandstand, Neal S. Blaisdell Center, and the Waikīkī Shell.

Municipal services

The Honolulu County collects various forms of

tax A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on an individual or legal entity by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax co ...

es, including a

property tax A property tax (whose rate is expressed as a percentage or per mille, also called ''millage'') is an ad valorem tax on the value of a property.In the OECD classification scheme, tax on property includes "taxes on immovable property or Wealth t ...

. Revenue from those taxes is used to provide several services for the residents. Services include: * Honolulu Board of Water Supply *

Honolulu Fire Department The Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) provides fire protection and first responder emergency medical services to the City & County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, under the jurisdiction of the Mayor of Honolulu. Founded on December 27, 1850, ...

Honolulu Emergency Medical Services Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

* TheBus *

Honolulu Police Department The Honolulu Police Department (HPD) is the principal law enforcement agency of the Honolulu County, Hawaii, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, headquartered in the Alapa'i Police Headquarters in Honolulu, Hawaii, Honolulu CDP. Officially re ...

*The ''Liquor Commission'' regulates intoxicating

liquor Liquor ( , sometimes hard liquor), spirits, distilled spirits, or spiritous liquor are alcoholic drinks produced by the distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar that have already gone through ethanol fermentation, alcoholic ferm ...

State representation

The Hawaii Department of Public Safety operates three prisons, including the Halawa Correctional Facility, the Waiawa Correctional Facility, and the Women's Community Correctional Center, on the island of Oʻahu in the City and County of Honolulu. In addition the Oʻahu Community Correctional Center, the jail on Oʻahu, is in the county.

Federal representation

The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

operates post offices in Honolulu County. The main one is located by the

Honolulu International Airport Daniel K. Inouye International Airport , also known as Honolulu International Airport, is the main and largest airport in Hawaii.

at 3600 Aolele Street. Federal Detention Center, Honolulu, operated by the

Federal Bureau of Prisons The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Justice that is responsible for all List of United States federal prisons, federal prisons ...

, is in the CDP. The

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

(FBI) Honolulu field office is in Kapolei. The Kunia Regional SIGINT Operations Center of the

National Security Agency The National Security Agency (NSA) is an intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the director of national intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collection, and proces ...

(NSA) and the

Wheeler Army Airfield Wheeler Army Airfield , also known as Wheeler Field and formerly as Wheeler Air Force Base, is a United States Army post located in the City & County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Island of O'ahu, Hawaii. It is a National H ...

are in Honolulu County. Honolulu County, like the rest of Hawaii, is a Democratic stronghold. Despite this, it has tended to be the most Republican-leaning county in the state, with the exception of the 2024 election, when Kauai County claimed this record. The city of Honolulu itself, and the whole southeastern portion of Oahu, including Kaneohe and Kailua, is where most of the Democratic strength in the county lies. Republican majorities can be found around the southwest and western shores, and also the far north shore.

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 953,207 people, 311,047 households, and 217,842 families residing in Honolulu County. The population density was . There were 315,988 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 43.9% Asian, 20.8%

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 9.5%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 2.0%

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.3% Native American, 1.1% from other races, and 22.3% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 9.1% of the population. The largest ancestry groups were: *15.7% Japanese *14.9% Filipino *5.9%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

*5.4% Chinese *5.0%

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...

*4.4% Irish *3.8% English *3.1% Portuguese *2.9% Puerto Rican *2.3% Korean *2.3% Mexican *1.8% Samoan *1.8%

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

*1.8%

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

*1.4% French In the census of 2000, there were 286,450 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.46. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.80% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males.

Metropolitan Statistical Area

The

United States Office of Management and Budget The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). The office's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, while it also examines agency pro ...

has designated Honolulu County as the Urban Honolulu, HI Metropolitan Statistical Area. The

ranked the Urban Honolulu, HI Metropolitan Statistical Area as the 54th most populous metropolitan statistical area and the 61st most populous primary statistical area of the United States as of July 1, 2012.

Economy

Top employers

According to the county's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the county are the following: Other major companies headquartered in Honolulu CDP include

Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. ( ) is a commercial U.S. airline headquartered in Honolulu, and a subsidiary of the Alaska Air Group. It is the largest operator of commercial flights to and from the island state of Hawaiʻi, and the tenth largest ...

, Aloha Air Cargo, and Bank of Hawaii.Honolulu CDP, HI
." ''

''. Retrieved May 21, 2009.

Diplomatic missions

Several countries have diplomatic missions in Honolulu: * (

Consulate General A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries. A consu ...

) * (

) * ( Economic and Cultural Office)

Transportation

Air

Located on the western end of the Honolulu census-designated place,

Honolulu International Airport Daniel K. Inouye International Airport , also known as Honolulu International Airport, is the main and largest airport in Hawaii.

(HNL) is the principal aviation gateway to the state of Hawaii. Numerous airlines fly Pacific-wide to and from Honolulu International Airport. Locally based

also operates flights to destinations within the islands of Hawaii and to major destinations across the Pacific.

Major highways

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Public transportation

The City and County of Honolulu's Department of Transportation Services oversees two public transportation services, each operated under contract. The fare system is shared between both services and can be paid using the HOLO card.

Bus

TheBus is the

transit bus A transit bus (also big bus, commuter bus, city bus, town bus, urban bus, stage bus, public bus, public transit bus, or simply bus) is a type of bus used in public transport bus services. Several configurations are used, including low-floo ...

service of the city and county of Honolulu. The system consists of 106 routes, including three express routes and two limited-stop routes. In , TheBus had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of . As of December 2017, TheBus is the nation’s most heavily used public transportation system per capita among major cities. The system is operated in contract with the nonprofit Oahu Transit Services Inc.

Rail

Skyline A skyline is the wikt:outline, outline or shape viewed near the horizon. It can be created by a city's overall structure, or by human intervention in a rural area, rural setting, or in nature that is formed where the sky meets buildings or the ...

is a

light metro A medium-capacity system (MCS), also known as light rapid transit or light metro, is a rail transport system with a capacity greater than light rail, but less than typical heavy-rail rapid transit. MCS trains are usually 1 to 4 cars. Most medi ...

line in the city and county of Honolulu. The first phase of the line between East Kapolei (on the ʻEwa Plain) and Aloha Stadium, opened on June 30, 2023. The second phase, connecting to

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 Reci ...

and Daniel K. Inouye International Airport before reaching Middle Street, is anticipated to open in the summer of 2025. The final phase, continuing the line across urban Honolulu to Downtown, is due to open in 2031. Skyline was planned, designed, and constructed by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART), a semi-autonomous agency of the city-county government. The line is operated in contract with Hitachi Rail, who also built the railcars used on the service.

Education

Colleges and universities

Public institutions in Honolulu County are operated by the University of Hawaiʻi System, which consists of

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Hawaiʻi system and houses the main offic ...

, Honolulu Community College and Kapiolani Community College in the Honolulu CDP; Leeward Community College in Pearl City; University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu in Kapolei; and Windward Community College in Kaneohe. The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa houses the system's main offices. Private institutions serving the county include

Chaminade University Chaminade University of Honolulu is a private Marianist university in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. Founded in 1955 by the Society of Mary, Chaminade is located in Kaimuki, Honolulu at the base of St. Louis Heights. Chaminade offers bache ...

and Hawaii Pacific University in the Honolulu CDP and Brigham Young University–Hawaii in Laie CDP.

Primary and secondary schools

The

Hawaii Department of Education The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE, ) is a statewide public education system in the United States. The school district can be thought of as analogous to the school districts of other cities and communities in the United States, ...

operates public schools and charter schools in Honolulu County.

Private schools

Honolulu County has one of the highest rates of private school enrollment in the United States.

Private schools A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their financial endowme ...

in Honolulu County include Kamehameha Schools–Kapālama,

Punahou School Punahou School (known as Oahu College until 1934) is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school in Honolulu, Hawaii. More than 3,700 students attend the school from kindergarten through 12th grade. The school was established by P ...

ʻIolani School Iolani School is a private coeducational K-12 college preparatory school in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. It serves over 2,200 students with a boarding program for grades 9 - 12 as well as a summer boarding program for middle school grades. Founded in 18 ...

, Mid-Pacific Institute, Le Jardin Academy, and

Island Pacific Academy Island Pacific Academy (IPA) is a private, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school serving grades K-12, with a current enrollment of approximately 550 students. Located in Kapolei, Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. ...

. Private religiously-affiliated schools include

Maryknoll School Maryknoll School is a private, coeducational Catholic Church, Catholic school serving children in kindergarten through twelfth grade in Honolulu, Hawaii, Hawaii. The school is located on the island of Oahu, Oahu and is administered by the Roman Ca ...

, St. Louis School, Hawaii Baptist Academy, Hanalani Schools, Damien Memorial School, Sacred Hearts Academy, and Pacific Buddhist Academy.

Public libraries

The

Hawaii State Public Library System The Hawaii State Public Library System (HSPLS) is the only statewide public library, public library system in the United States. The system has 51 libraries on all the major Hawaiian Islands: Hawaii (island), Big Island of Hawaii, Kauai, Kauai, ...

operates public libraries. The Hawaii State Library in the Honolulu CDP serves as the main library of the system, while the Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, also in the CDP, serves disabled and blind people. The system operates 22 branch libraries throughout the county.

Arts and culture

Performing arts

Established in 1900, the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra is the oldest US symphony orchestra west of the Rocky Mountains. The Royal Hawaiian Band is even older, established in 1836 by King Kamehameha III and holds the distinction of being the only full-time municipal band in the United States, as well as the only one with a royal legacy. Other ensembles include the Hawaii Opera Theatre. Honolulu is also a center for

Hawaiian music The music of Hawaii includes an array of traditional and popular styles, ranging from native Hawaiian folk music to modern rock and hip hop. Styles like slack-key guitar are well known worldwide, while Hawaiian-tinged music is a frequent par ...

. 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 Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communi ...

, including Diamond Head Theatre.

Visual arts

There are various institutions supported by the state and private entities for the advancement of the visual arts. The

Honolulu Museum of Art The Honolulu Museum of Art (formerly the Honolulu Academy of Arts) is an art museum in Honolulu, Hawaii, Hawaii. The museum is the largest of its kind in the state, and was founded in 1922 by Anna Rice Cooke. It has one of the largest single co ...

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. Since the merger of the Honolulu Academy of Arts and The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu (now called the Honolulu Museum of Art Spalding House) in 2011, the museum is also the only

contemporary art Contemporary art is a term used to describe the art of today, generally referring to art produced from the 1970s onwards. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a ...

museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

in the state. The contemporary collections are housed at main campus ( Spalding House) in Makiki and a multi-level gallery in

at the First Hawaiian Center. The museum 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 Capitol Modern Museum is located in downtown Honolulu in No. 1 Capitol District Building and has 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 Hawaii ( ; ) is an island state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only state not on the North American mainland, th ...

Natural museums

Recognized internationally as the premier cultural institution of Hawaii, the

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, Hawaii, Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. Founded in 1 ...

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 The Honolulu Zoo is a zoo in Queen Kapiʻolani Park in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is the only zoo in the United States to be established by grants made by a sovereign monarch and is built on part of the royal Queen Kapiʻolani Park. The Honolulu ...

is the main

zoological Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...

institution in Hawaii while the Waikiki Aquarium is a working

marine biology Marine biology is the scientific study of the biology of marine life, organisms that inhabit the sea. Given that in biology many scientific classification, phyla, family (biology), families and genera have some species that live in the sea and ...

laboratory. The Waikiki Aquarium is partnered with the

University of Hawaiʻi The University of Hawaiʻi System is a public college and university system in Hawaii. The system confers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees through three universities, seven community colleges, an employment training center, ...

and other universities worldwide. Established for appreciation of

botany Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

, Honolulu is home to several gardens: Foster Botanical Garden, Liliuokalani Botanical Garden, Walker Estate, among others.

Sports

Currently, Honolulu has no professional sports teams. Honolulu's Aloha Stadium was a long time host of the NFL's annual

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...

from 1980 to 2016. The

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

's Hawaii Bowl is played at Aloha Stadium annually. Games are hosted at Les Murakami and Hans L'Orange Park. Fans of spectator sports in Honolulu generally support the

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

, and

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

programs of the

. High school sporting events, especially football, are especially popular. Venues for spectator sports in Honolulu include: * Aloha Stadium (

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

and

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

) * Les Murakami Stadium at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (

) * Stan Sheriff Center at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (

and

) * Neal Blaisdell Center Arena (

) 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 nation. Honolulu is home to three large road races: *The Great Aloha Run is held annually on Presidents' Day. *The

Honolulu Marathon The Honolulu Marathon (branded JAL Honolulu Marathon for sponsorship reasons) is a marathon (26.2 miles or 42.2km) in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was first held on December 16, 1973, and it typically takes places on the second Sunday in December. The ma ...

, held annually on the second Sunday in December, draws more than 20,000 participants each year, about half to two thirds of them from Japan. *The Honolulu Triathlon is an Olympic distance

triathlon A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the ...

event governed by

USA Triathlon USA Triathlon (USAT) is the national governing body for the multisport disciplines of triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and winter triathlon in the United States. USA Triathlon is a member federation of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and ...

. Held annually in May since 2004, there is an absence of a sprint course.

Media

Honolulu County is home to numerous forms media including newspapers, magazines, radio and television.

Communities

Census-designated places

* Āhuimanu * Aiea * East Honolulu * East Kapolei * Ewa Beach * Ewa Gentry * Ewa Villages * Hālawa * Haleiwa * Hauula * Helemano * Heeia * Hickam Housing *

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

* Iroquois Point * Kaaawa * Kahaluu * Kahuku * Kailua * Kalaeloa * Kāneohe * Kaneohe Base (Marine Corps Base Hawaii) * Kapolei * Kawela Bay * Ko Olina * Lāie * Māili * Mākaha * Mākaha Valley * Makakilo * Maunawili * Mililani Mauka * Mililani Town * Mokulēia * Nānākuli * Ocean Pointe * Pearl City * Punaluu * Pūpūkea * Royal Kunia (formerly Village Park) *

Schofield Barracks Schofield Barracks is a United States Army installation and census-designated place (CDP) located in Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Hawaiian island of Oahu, Hawaii. Schofield Barracks lies adjacent to the town of Wahiawā, separated ...

* Wahiawā * Waiāhole * Waialua * Waianae * Waikāne * Waikele * Waimalu * Waimānalo * Waimānalo Beach * Waipahu * Waipio * Waipio Acres * West Loch Estate *

* Whitmore Village

Other places

* Āina Haina * Hawaii Kai * Pauoa

Sister cities

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1907 establishments in Hawaii Consolidated city-counties Hawaii counties Metropolitan areas of Hawaii Populated places established in 1907