Honolulu 1 Honolulu This article is about the largest city and state capital city of Hawaii, within the county of Honolulu. For the county of Honolulu itself, see Honolulu County. For other uses, see Honolulu (disambiguation). Honolulu Hawaiian: Honolulu State Capital City and County of Honolulu Clockwise: Aerial view of Downtown Honolulu, Pearl Harbor right outside the city, statue of King Kamehameha I in downtown, Diamond Head, waterfront on Waikiki Beach, and Honolulu Hale (City Hall) [1] Nickname(s): Crossroads of the Pacific, Sheltered Bay, Town, HNL, The Big Pineapple, Paradise Motto: Haʻaheo No ʻO Honolulu (The Pride of Honolulu) Location in Honolulu County and the state of Hawaii Location in Honolulu County and the state of Hawaii [2] [2] Coordinates: 21°18′N 157°49′W Coordinates: 21°18′N 157°49′W Country United States State Hawaii County Honolulu Incorporated April 30, 1907 Government Honolulu 2 • Mayor Kirk Caldwell (D) • Council Area • City 68.4 sq mi (177.2 km2) • Land 60.5 sq mi (156.7 km2) • Water 7.9 sq mi (20.5 km2) Elevation 19 ft (6 m) Population (2010) • City 390,738 (46th) • Density 5,574/sq mi (2,152.2/km2) • Metro 953,207 Demonym Honolulan Time zone Hawaiian (HST) (UTC−10) Zip Code 96801-96850 Area code(s) 808 FIPS code 15-17000 GNIS feature ID 366212 Honolulu (/ˌhoʊnoʊˈluːluː/;[3][4] Hawaiian: Honolulu) is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Hawaii.[5]</ref> It is the county seat of the City and County of Honolulu. Hawaii is a major tourist destination and Honolulu, situated on the island of Oahu, is the main gateway to Hawaii and a major gateway into the United States. The city is also a major hub for international business, military defense, as well as famously being host to a diverse variety of east-west and Pacific culture, cuisine, and traditions. Honolulu is both the westernmost and the southernmost major American city. For statistical purposes, the U.S. Census Bureau recognizes the approximate area commonly referred to as "City of Honolulu" (not to be confused with the "City and County") as a census county division (CCD). Honolulu is a major financial center of the islands and of the Pacific Ocean. The population of Honolulu CCD was 390,738 at the 2010 census, while the population of the consolidated city and county was 953,207. In the Hawaiian, Honolulu means "sheltered bay" or "place of shelter"Wikipedia:Citation needed; alternatively, it means "calm port". The old name is said to be Kou, a district roughly encompassing the area from Nuuanu Avenue to Alakea Street and from Hotel Street to Queen Street which is the heart of the present downtown district. The city has been the capital of the Hawaiian islands since 1845 and gained historical recognition following the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan near the city on December 7, 1941. Honolulu 3 History See also: Timeline of Honolulu Evidence of the first settlement of Honolulu by the original Polynesian migrants to the archipelago comes from oral histories and artifacts. These indicate that there was a settlement where Honolulu now stands in the 11th century. However, after Kamehameha I conquered Oʻahu in the Battle of Nuʻuanu at Nuʻuanu Pali, he moved his royal court from the Island of Hawaiʻi to Waikīkī in 1804. His court relocated in 1809 to Port of Honolulu, as seen by Russian artist Louis what is now downtown Honolulu. The capital was moved back to Choris in 1816. Kailua-Kona in 1812. In 1794, Captain William Brown of Great Britain was the first foreigner to sail into what is now Honolulu Harbor. More foreign ships followed, making the port of Honolulu a focal point for merchant ships traveling between North America and Asia. In 1845, Kamehameha III moved the permanent capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom from Lahaina on Maui to Honolulu. He and the kings that followed him transformed Honolulu into a modern capital, Queen Street, Honolulu, 1856, by George Henry erecting buildings such as St. Andrew's Cathedral, ʻIolani Palace, and Burgess. Aliʻiōlani Hale. At the same time, Honolulu became the center of commerce in the islands, with descendants of American missionaries establishing major businesses in downtown Honolulu. Despite the turbulent history of the late 19th century and early 20th century, such as the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, Hawaiʻi's subsequent annexation by the United States in 1898, followed by a large fire in 1900, and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Honolulu remained the capital, largest city, and main airport and seaport of the Hawaiian Islands. An economic and tourism boom following statehood brought rapid The Great Chinatown Fire. economic growth to Honolulu and Hawaiʻi. Modern air travel brings, as of 2007, 7.6 million visitors annually to the islands, with 62.3% entering at Honolulu International Airport. Today, Honolulu is a modern city with numerous high-rise buildings, and Waikīkī is the center of the tourism industry in Hawaiʻi, with thousands of hotel rooms. The UK consulting firm Mercer, in a 2009 assessment "conducted to help governments and major companies place employees on international assignments", ranked Honolulu 29th worldwide in quality of living; the survey factored in political stability, personal freedom, sanitation, crime, housing, the natural environment, recreation, banking facilities, availability of consumer goods, education, and public services including transportation. Honolulu 4 Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 68.4 square miles (177.2 km2). 60.5 square miles (156.7 km2) of it is land, and 7.9 square miles (20.5 km2) of it (11.56%) is water. The closest location on the mainland to Honolulu is the Point Arena Lighthouse in California, at 2,045 nautical miles (3,787 km).[6] (Nautical vessels require some additional distance to circumnavigate Makapuʻu Point.) However, part of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska are slightly closer to Honolulu than the mainland. Astronaut photograph of western Honolulu, HNL Airport, and Pearl Harbor taken from the International Space Station Neighborhoods, boroughs, and districts • Downtown Honolulu is the financial, 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 438-foot (134 m) tall First Hawaiian Center, located on King and Bishop Streets. The downtown campus of Hawaii Pacific University is also located there. • The Arts District Honolulu in downtown/Chinatown is on the eastern edge of Chinatown. It is a 12-block area bounded by Bethel & Smith Streets and Nimitz Highway and Beretania Street – home Honolulu as seen from the International Space to numerous arts and cultural institutions. It is located within the Station Chinatown Historic District, which includes the former Hotel Street Vice District. • The Capitol District is the eastern part of Downtown Honolulu. It is the current and historic center of Hawaii's state government, incorporating the Hawaii State Capitol, ʻIolani Palace, Honolulu Hale (City Hall), State Library, and the statue of King Kamehameha I, along with numerous government buildings. • Kakaʻako is a light-industrial district between Downtown and Waikīkī 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. The John A. Burns School of Medicine, part of Downtown at Bishop and King streets, with First the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa is also located there. A Hawaiian Center (left) and Bankoh Center (right) Memorial to the Ehime Maru Incident victims is built at Kakaako Waterfront Park. • Ala Moana is a district between Kakaʻako and Waikīkī and the home of Ala Moana Center, the "World's largest open air shopping center" and the largest shopping mall in Hawaii. Ala Moana Center boasts over 300 tenants and is a very popular location among tourists. Also in Ala Moana is the Honolulu Design Center and Ala Moana Beach Park, the second largest park in Honolulu. • Waikīkī is the tourist district of Honolulu, located between the Ala Wai Canal and the Pacific Ocean next to Diamond Head. Numerous hotels, shops, and nightlife opportunities are located along Kalakaua and Kuhio Avenues. It is a popular location for visitors and locals alike and attracts millions of visitors every year. A Honolulu 5 majority of the hotel rooms on Oahu are located in Waikīkī. • Manoa and Makiki are residential neighborhoods located in adjacent valleys just inland of downtown and Waikīkī. Manoa Valley is home to the main campus of the University of Hawaiʻi. President Barack Obama lived in Makiki with his maternal grandparents until graduating from Punahou School, apart from four years in Indonesia with his mother and stepfather. • Nuʻuanu and Pauoa are upper-middle-class residential districts located inland of downtown Honolulu. The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is located in Punchbowl Crater fronting Pauoa Valley. • Palolo and Kaimuki are neighborhoods east of Manoa and Makiki, inland from Diamond Head. Palolo Valley parallels Manoa and is a residential neighborhood. Kaimuki is primarily a residential neighborhood with a commercial strip centered on Waialae Avenue running behind Diamond Head. Chaminade University is located in Kaimuki. • Waialae and Kahala are 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 five-star Kahala Hotel & Resort. • East Honolulu includes the residential communities of ʻĀina Haina, Niu Valley, and Hawaiʻi Kai. These are considered upper-middle-class neighborhoods. The upscale gated communities of Waiʻalae ʻiki and Hawaiʻi Loa Ridge are also located here.