This page presents some interesting facts about Honokaa town. Figures used on this page are from the DBEDT Hawaii Data Book and the Hawaii County Statistics website.

Population:
Honokaa town: 2,233 (2000 census)
Hamakua District: 6,108 (2000 census)
The Hamakua District consists of Honokaa, Kapulena, Kukuihaele, Haina, Paauhau, Ahualoa, Kalopa and Paauilo areas. Figures taken from the State of Hawaii Data Book, 2001 edition.

Government:

Honokaa is part of the County of Hawaii. The chief executive is the Mayor of Hawaii County, Harry Kim. Honokaa's County Council Member is Dr. Fred Holschuh. County services available in town include police, fire, and ambulance services.

The State of Hawaii has a presence in the area maintaining the Health Department Office, Public Library, Highway Maintenance Yard, and the Public School (see below). The State Representative to the Legislature is Dwight Takamine (D). The State Senator is Lorraine Inouye (D). The state also operates the Honokaa Long Term Care Health Facility, which replaced the old Honokaa Hospital. Emergency medical care is performed in neighboring Waimea, about 20 minutes north of Honokaa.

The Hawaii State National Guard maintains an armory facility next to Honokaa High School.

Education:

Honokaa High and Intermediate School
The public school encompasses grades 7 through 12
The school takes in high school students from Waimea and Paauilo. The school mascot is the Dragon.
Enrollment is 812 (Sept. 2002)

Honokaa Elementary School
The public school encompasses grades K through 6
Enrollment is 381 (Sept. 2002)

Paauilo Elementary & Intermediate School
The public school encompasses grades K through 9
The school feeds in to Honokaa from Grades 10 - 12
Enrollment is 218 (Sept. 2002)

School statistics taken from Hawaii State Department of Education, Information Resource Management Branch records.

Business and Industry:

Sugar was the leading industry in Honokaa and along much of the Hamakua Coast for at least 100 years. In 1994 sugar operations ended after Hamakua Sugar Plantation closed due to a number of economic factors. The closure of the plantation was the end of an era along the lush Hamakua Coast which at one time boasted nearly a dozen sugar plantations.

Today the area has come back with a mix of tourism, farming, and ranching. Hamakua Energy Partners operates a 60 megawatt co-generation facility which sells power to Big Island utility, HELCO.

Honokaa town includes a many retail merchants serving the residents and the occasional tourist. Honokaa has 2 grocery stores, a couple of convenience stores, a hardware store, several restaurants, 3 filling stations, a print shop, several boutiques and service oriented businesses, a hotel, bed and breakfast operations, video outlet, movie theater and hair stylists.

Residents also travel many miles to either Hilo or Kona to shop at the malls and the big box stores like Costco and Walmart. Neighboring Waimea also gets its share of Honokaa shoppers.

Visitor Accommodations:

The Hotel Honokaa Club is the only hotel in town. It offers clean rooms at reasonable rates with a nice little restaurant. There are several bed and breakfast operations scattered through the area. Most tourists elect to stay in the South Kohala "Gold Coast" resorts and make a day trip to Honokaa. Accommodations are also available in Hilo, Kona, Waimea and Volcano.

Visitor Attractions:

The major visitor attraction in the Honokaa area is Waipio Valley. The valley is about a 15 minute drive out of town along highway 24. Tourists can drive their rental cars to the valley lookout where they are greeted by a majestic view of the valley's floor and walls. Off in the distance is the island of Maui, clearly visible on a sunny, cloudless day.

Visitors can visit the valley floor by hiking or booking a tour with the Waipio Valley Shuttle service. Only 4 wheel drive vehicles are allowed to traverse the steep, narrow and winding road into the valley. Experienced, local drivers should navigate this road.

Besides Waipio Valley, Honokaa Town itself is worth a walk through its streets. Several interesting shops are worth stopping by. If you're in town on a Saturday morning, the weekly Farmer's Market day happens in front of the old Bothelo building. Local farmers are there selling everything from fresh vegetables to cut flowers.

Just outside Honokaa is the Kalopa State Park. It is a very nice forested area where people can hike and camp (with the proper permits).

While in Honokaa be sure to try Tex Drive In's world famous malasadas. Visitors can see how those tasty malasadas are made, due to a recent renovation that upgraded the facilities. The popular eatery serves as one of the town's major meeting place for various community organizations. Tex Drive-In is located along Highway 19 in the same building as the Honokaa Stop n Shop store.

Entertainment & Recreation:

The big events happening in Honokaa include the following:

Western Week
Usually last week of May
Features Hawaii Saddle Club Rodeo, Parade and Square Dance

Honokaa High School Sports
During school year
Football, basketball and baseball games attract hundreds

Hamakua Music Festival
Usually in the month of November or December.
Select this link for more information.

Recreational facilities include a public gymansium, running track, baseball park, tennis court and swimming pool. Hiking, hunting and cycling are also popular outdoor activities. There are no beaches nearby, so if a day at the beach is in your plans you either have to go down to Waipio Valley (black sand beach) or take a 30 mile trip to Kawaihae to visit its white sandy beaches.

Golfers will be pleased to know that Honokaa has one of the oldest courses on the Big Island... the nine hole Hamakua Country Club is located just outside of town and features a lush, green sloping playing area.

Communications:

Honokaa gets all 4 major network television channels and PBS over the air or through the local cable TV company. 6 FM radio stations can be clearly heard in Honokaa as well as a number of AM radio outlets. Information about broadcast media is available on the Honokaa Radio & Television Guide Page. Cellular phone service and internet access are also available through local providers.

Honokaa has its own monthly newspaper. The publication is called The Hamakua Times and features a mix of news, photos, features and advertising catering the local resident audience. They can be reached by email at illuminations@bigisland.com.

Residents also get the 2 daily Big Island Newspapers.... Hawaii Tribune Herald, published from Hilo and West Hawaii Today, published from Kona. The two Honolulu dailies are also available.

Climate:

Generally the weather is usually pleasant for most of the year. Being on the windward side of the Big Island, Honokaa is known to have its share of rain showers. A typical day in Honokaa can start out sunny and turn rainy by day's end. Often it can be raining in the morning and clear in the afternoon. On some days it can be unseasonly clear, hot and dry... a perfect Hawaiian day in another part of paradise.

Temperatures during the daylight hours climb in the upper 70s and sometimes 80s. Night time temperatures can dip into the 60s or 50s... maybe even the 40s. Bringing a jacket and some warm clothes will be helpful if you plan to spend some time in Honokaa.

Map

Select this link to see a map of Honokaa and a chart of driving distances.

Errors & Corrections:

Anything missing or wrong in this section? Please email me and I'll make the correction. E-mail: macpro3000@yahoo.com.