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Honolulu is the largest city and the capital of the U.S.
state of Hawai'i. In the Hawaiian language, honolulu means "sheltered bay" or "place of shelter." The city is located
along the southeast coast of the island of O'ahu. The term also refers to the District of
Honolulu (see Geography below). As of the 2000
Census, the population of (mostly) the Honolulu District was 371,657. However, in Hawai'i, municipal governments operate only
at the county level, and the City & County of
Honolulu encompasses all of the Island of O'ahu, having a 2000 Census population of 876,156 (compare with 1,211,537 for the
entire state).
Geography
Honolulu is located at 21°18'32" North, 157°49'34" West (21.308950, -157.826182)1. While this is clearly in the tropics, the
climate (temperature and humidity) is moderated by the mid-ocean location and some cooling achieved by the California Current that
passes through the islands much of year. The average daily temperature in January is 19-27° C (66-88° F) and in July is 23-31° C
(74-88° F). Temperatures only rarely exceed 32° C (90° F)
The Honolulu District is located on the southeast coast of O'ahu between Makapu'u and Hālawa. The District boundary follows
the Ko'olau crestline, so Makapu'u Beach is in the Ko'olaupoko District. On the west, the district boundary follows
Hālawa Stream, then crosses Red Hill and runs just west of Aliamanu Crater, so that Aloha Stadium, Pearl Harbor, and Hickam Air Force Base are actually all in the 'Ewa District.
Most of the city's commercial and industrial developments are located on a narrow but relatively flat coastal plain, while
numerous ridges and valleys located inland of the coastal plain divide Honolulu's residential areas into distinct neighborhoods:
some spread along valley floors (like Mānoa in Mānoa Valley) and others climbing the interfluvial ridges. Within
Honolulu proper can be found a number of volcanic cones: Punchbowl, Diamond
Head, Koko Head (includes Hanauma Bay), Koko Crater, Salt Lake, and
Āliamanu are most conspicuous.
Government
Neighborhoods and Districts
- Downtown Honolulu is the commercial and
governmental center of Hawaii. On the waterfront is Aloha Tower, which for
many years was the tallest building in Hawaii. Currently the tallest building is the 450-foot-tall First Hawaiian Tower, located on King & Bishop Streets. On the
eastern side of downtown is the historic center of Hawaii's state government: the Hawaii State Capitol, Iolani Palace, Honolulu Hale, and the statue of King Kamehameha I are the central features of this area, along with numerous government buildings.
- Kaka'ako is a former light-industrial district between Downtown and Waikiki that has seen a large-scale
redevelopment effort in the past decade. It is home to two major shopping areas, Ward Warehouse and Ward Centre. Several other redevelopment
projects are planned in this area, including a new medical school for the University of Hawaii.
- Waikīkī is the famous tourist district of Honolulu,
located between the Ala Wai Canal and the Pacific Ocean. Numerous hotels,
shops, and other nightlife are located along Kalakaua and Kuhio Avenues. World-famous Waikīkī Beach
attracts thousands of visitors a year. Just west of Waikīkī is Ala Moana Center, the world's largest open-air shopping center. A majority of the hotel rooms on O'ahu are
located in Waikīkī.
- Mānoa and Makiki are residential neighborhoods located in adjacent valleys just inland
of Downtown and Waikīkī. Mānoa Valley is home to the main campus of the University of Hawaii.
- Palolo and Kaimukī are neighborhoods east of Mānoa and Makiki, inland from
Diamond Head. Palolo Valley parallels Mānoa and is a residential neighborhood. Kaimukī is mixed commercial and
residential and the home of Chaminade University.
- Wai'alae and Kāhala are the upper-class districts of Honolulu located directly east of
Diamond Head, where there are many high-priced homes. Also found in these neighborhoods are the Waialae Country Club and
the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
- East Honolulu includes the residential communities of Āina Haina, Niu
Valley, and Hawaii Kai. These are
considered upper-middle-class neighborhoods.
Transportation
Located on the western end of the city, Honolulu International Airport is the principal aviation gateway to the state of
Hawai'i.
Two freeways serve Honolulu proper:
- Interstate H-1, which, coming into the city from
the west, passes Hickam Air Force Base and Honolulu
International Airport, runs just north of Downtown and continues eastward through Makiki and Kaimukī, ending at
Wai'alae/Kāhala. West of the city proper, H-1 connects to Interstates H-2 from Wahiawa and H-3 from Kāne'ohe.
- Moanalua Freeway, State Rte. 78, connects two points along H-1: at Aloha Stadium and Fort Shafter.
Other major highways that link Honolulu proper with other parts of the Island of O'ahu are:
- Pali Highway, State Rte. 61, crosses north over the Ko'olau to connect to Kailua and Kāne'ohe on the windward
side.
- Likelike Highway, State Rte. 63, also crosses the Ko'olau to Kāne'ohe.
- Kalanianaole Highway, State Rte. 72, runs eastward from Wai'alae/Kāhala to Hawaii Kai and around the east end of the island to Waimānalo Beach.
- Kamehameha Highway, State Rte. 99, runs westward from near Hickam Air Force Base to 'Aiea and beyond,
paralleling the H-1.
Like most major American cities, the Honolulu metropolitan area experiences heavy traffic congestion during rush hours,
especially to and from the western suburbs of 'Aiea, Pearl City, Waipahu, and Mililani. Land for expanding road capacity is at a premium.
Established by former Mayor Frank F. Fasi, Honolulu's public transit system has been twice honored by the American Public Transportation Association bestowing the title of "America's
Best Transit System" for 1994-1995 and 2000-2001. Oahu Transit Services' TheBus operates 93 routes with a fleet of 525
buses.
Currently, there is no fixed-rail mass transit system in Honolulu. However, in 2004, the
City & County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii approved development of an action plan for a fixed rail mass transit system
to be built in several phases. The initial line could link Kapolei in West Oahu to Iwilei near Downtown Honolulu. Several
attempts had been made since the 1980s and 1990s to construct a fixed rail mass transit system but stalled during Honolulu City
Council hearings.
Also in 2004, construction has also started on the new bus rapid transit system using dedicated rights-of-way for buses. The system, proposed by Mayor
Jeremy Harris, is expected to link the Iwilei neighborhood with Waikiki. Objections have been made as to both projects' environmental impact and high
construction and maintenance costs.
Media
Honolulu is served by two daily newspapers: the Honolulu Advertiser and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. It is one of the few remaining
cities of its size in the U.S. to have more than one daily newspaper.
Honolulu is also served by 13 television stations (including all the major U.S. television networks), 20 FM radio stations,
and 17 AM radio stations. [1]
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 371,657 people, 140,337 households, and 87,429 families residing in the city.
The population density was 1,674.4/km˛ (4,336.6/mi˛). There
were 158,663 housing units at an average density of 714.8/km˛ (1,851.3/mi˛). The racial makeup of the town was 19.67% White,
1.62% African American, 0.19% Native American, 55.85% Asian, 6.85% Pacific Islander, 0.89%
from other races, and 14.93% from two or more races. 4.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 140,337 households out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples
living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 29.7% of all households
were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was
2.57 and the average family size is 3.23.
In Honolulu the population was spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from
45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.6 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,112, and the median income for a family was $56,311. Males had a median
income of $36,631 versus $29,930 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,191. 11.8% of the population and 7.9% of
families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 14.6% were under the age of 18 and 8.5% were 65
or older.
Tourist Attractions
Colleges & Universities
- Chaminade University – Students: 1,130; Tuition:
$13,380/yr1
- Hawaii Pacific University – Students:
8,500; Tuition: $10,922/yr1
External Links
References
(1) Honolulu Advertiser , Section B. Monday, June 7, 2004. Estimated student
body size and annual tuition for selected colleges on O'ahu.
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