| Kailua, Hawaii Kailua-Kona |
|
|---|---|
| — CDP — | |
| Oceanfront south of Huliheʻe Palace | |
| Location in Hawaii County and the state of Hawaii | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Hawaii |
| County | Hawaii |
| Area | |
| • Total | 39.8 sq mi (103.0 km2) |
| • Land | 39.8 sq mi (103.0 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 11,975 |
| Time zone | Hawaii-Aleutian (UTC-10) |
| ZIP code | 96740 |
| Area code(s) | 808 |
| FIPS code | 15-23000 |
| GNIS feature ID | 365355 |
Kailua is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaiʻi County, Hawaii, United States, in the North Kona District of the Island of Hawaiʻi.[1] The population was 11,975 at the 2010 census. It is the center of commerce and of the tourist industry on West Hawaiʻi. Its post office is designated Kailua-Kona[2] to differentiate it from the larger Kailua located on windward Oʻahu, and it is sometimes referred to as "Kona" in everyday speech. The city is served by Kona International Airport, located just to the north in the adjacent Kalaoa CDP.[3] Kailua-Kona was the closest major settlement to the epicenter of the 2006 Hawaiʻi Earthquake.
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The community was established by King Kamehameha I to be his seat of government (he was originally the chief of Kona before consolidating rule of the archipelago), and the capital of the newly unified Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. (The capital was later moved to Lāhainā, then, to Honolulu.) Royal fishponds at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park were the hub of unified Hawaiian culture. The town then functioned as a retreat of the Hawaiian royal family. Up until the late 1900s, Kailua-Kona was primarily a small fishing village.[4] More recently, this region has undergone a real estate and construction boom fueled by tourism and investment.
Kailua is located at (19.649973, -155.994028),[5] along the shoreline of Kailua Bay and up the southern slope of Hualālai volcano. There are no major rivers or streams in Kailua or on the Kona side of Hawaii.[6]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 39.8 square miles (103 km2), of which, 35.5 square miles (92 km2) of it is land and 4.3 square miles (11 km2) of it is water. The total area is 10.71% water.
The Kailua-Kona postal code is 96740. Other communities located in this zip code include: Kalaoa, Kealakehe, Kahaluʻu, and Keauhou.
Kona has a tropical climate with warm temperatures year-round. The coldest month in Kona is January and the average high in January is 81.9°F (28°C) while the average low is 66.4°F (19°C). August is the warmest month and the average high is 88.0°F (31°C) while the average low is 73.6°F (23°C). Humidity is generally between 50% and 70%. Kona is generally dry, with a mean annual percipitation of 11.15 in. Mornings are typically clear while thermal clouds created in the day raise the temperature during the day.[6]
| Climate data for Kailua Kona, HI USA | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 90.0 (32.2) |
90.0 (32.2) |
91.0 (32.8) |
90.0 (32.2) |
92.0 (33.3) |
92.0 (33.3) |
93.0 (33.9) |
95.0 (35.0) |
94.0 (34.4) |
94.0 (34.4) |
92.0 (33.3) |
89.0 (31.7) |
95.0 (35.0) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 81.9 (27.7) |
82.1 (27.8) |
82.8 (28.2) |
83.7 (28.7) |
85.0 (29.4) |
86.2 (30.1) |
87.3 (30.7) |
88.0 (31.1) |
88.1 (31.2) |
87.2 (30.7) |
85.4 (29.7) |
82.9 (28.3) |
85.0 (29.4) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 66.4 (19.1) |
66.5 (19.2) |
67.8 (19.9) |
69.3 (20.7) |
70.9 (21.6) |
71.9 (22.2) |
73.2 (22.9) |
73.6 (23.1) |
73.3 (22.9) |
72.4 (22.4) |
70.4 (21.3) |
67.5 (19.7) |
70.3 (21.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 56 (13) |
58 (14) |
58 (14) |
60 (16) |
64 (18) |
62 (17) |
65 (18) |
58 (14) |
57 (14) |
57 (14) |
62 (17) |
60 (16) |
56 (13) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 1.68 (42.7) |
0.95 (24.1) |
1.23 (31.2) |
0.57 (14.5) |
0.72 (18.3) |
0.53 (13.5) |
0.72 (18.3) |
0.68 (17.3) |
0.72 (18.3) |
0.88 (22.4) |
1.15 (29.2) |
1.34 (34) |
11.15 (283.2) |
| Source: WRCC/NCDC [7] | |||||||||||||
Vog can cover parts of the Kona coast from time to time depending on the activity of the Kilauea and the island winds. Kailua-Kona is located on the leeward side of the Hualalai Volcano sheltering the town from wind and rain.[4]
As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 9,870 people, 3,537 households, and 2,429 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 278.0 people per square mile (107.3/km²). There were 4,322 housing units at an average density of 121.7 per square mile (47.0/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 38.65% White, 0.46% Black or African American, 0.46% Native American, 18.28% Asian, 13.16% Pacific Islander, 1.93% from other races, and 27.07% from two or more races. 10.20% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,537 households out of which 35.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.26.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $40,874, and the median income for a family was $46,657. Males had a median income of $30,353 versus $26,471 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $20,624. 10.8% of the population and 6.5% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 11.9% of those under the age of 18 and 3.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Kailua is the start and finish of the annual Ironman World Championship triathlon, the annual Kona Coffee Festival, and the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament.
Kona coffee is the variety of Coffea arabica cultivated on the slopes of Mount Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the North and South Kona Districts.
Aliʻi Drive (shown above), Kailua's oceanfront downtown street, starts at Kailua Pier; here are some historic places heading South. Kailua Pier is the starting and finishing point for the Ironman World Championship Triathlon in October.[9] North of the pier is the Kamakahonu royal residence and Ahuʻena Heiau. Another royal residence is Huliheʻe Palace, used by members of the Hawaiian royal family until 1914.[10] The Historic Kona Inn and other shops are on the street. Churches on the drive include Mokuaikaua Church, Hawaiʻi's first Christian church built in 1820, and Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church. Parks include Laʻaloa Bay (also known as Magic Sands or White Sands Beach) and Kahaluʻu Bay, which has some of Hawaii's best snorkeling.
Kailua-Kona is served by the newspaper West Hawaii Today which is owned by the Stephens Media Group.[11]
Hawaii Department of Education operates public schools. Kealakehe Elementary School, Kahakai Elementary School, Kealakehe Intermediate School, and Kealakehe High School are in the Kailua CDP.[12]
Kailua-Kona has been struck hard by the 2008 national financial crisis. With tourism down, restaurants and hotels are either closing down or scaling down their operations. The main restaurant drive, Ali'i drive, has been greatly plagued by closures of restaurants and stagnant economic growth. Debate has been spurred by recent plans to upgrade the Keahole International Airport by making it indoor with a jet way. Those for it believe it will provide for more comfort and modernness for tourists. Those opposed to the idea believe that it eliminates the unique Kona experience of landing on the tarmac, and actually walking out from the plane to one's destination, which thrills many first-comers and returners alike. Rising levels of vog have taken its toll on Kona citizens, prompting some to move to nearby, clean-air towns, such as Waikoloa and Waimea. There is a proposal to build a UH campus on the Kona side,in hopes that it would boost the local economy by providing more white collar jobs and spur upper level thinking.