"Hilo" redirects here. For other uses, see Hilo (disambiguation).
Hilo
County seat
Census-designated place
Coordinates19°42′20″N 155°5′9″W
StateHawaii
CountyHawaii
MayorKimo Alameda
Area total151.0 km²
Area land138.3 km²
Area water12.7 km²
Unit prefImperial
Elevation20 ft
Population as of2020
Population total44186
Time zoneHawaii-Aleutian (UTC−10)
ZIP Codes96720, 96721
Area code808
FIPS code15-14650
GNIS ID359187[1]

Hilo (/ˈhiː.loʊ/, HEE-low; ˈhilo) is the largest settlement in and the county seat of Hawaiʻi County, Hawaii, United States,[1] which encompasses the Island of Hawaiʻi, and is a census-designated place (CDP). The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census.[2] It is the fourth-largest settlement in the state of Hawaiʻi, the largest settlement in the state outside of Oahu, and the largest settlement in the state outside of the Greater Honolulu Area.

Hilo is in the District of South Hilo.[3] The city overlooks Hilo Bay and has views of two shield volcanoes – Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on the planet, and Mauna Kea, the highest point in the Hawaiian Islands. The Hilo bayfront has been destroyed by tsunamis twice. The majority of human settlement in Hilo stretches from Hilo Bay to Waiākea-Uka, on the flanks of the volcanoes.

Hilo is home to the University of Hawaii at Hilo, ʻImiloa Astronomy Center, as well as the Merrie Monarch Festival, a week-long celebration, including three nights of competition, of ancient and modern hula that takes place annually after Easter. Hilo is also home to the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation, one of the world's leading producers of macadamia nuts. Hilo is served by Hilo International Airport.[4]

History

Around 1100 AD, the first Hilo inhabitants arrived, bringing with them Polynesian knowledge and traditions. Although archaeological evidence is scant, oral history has many references to people living in Hilo, along the Wailuku and Wailoa rivers during the time of ancient Hawaiʻi.[5] Oral history gives the meaning of Hilo as "to twist".[6]

Originally, the name "Hilo" applied to a district encompassing much of the east coast of the island of Hawaii, now divided into the District of South Hilo and the District of North Hilo. When William Ellis visited in 1823, the main settlement there was Waiākea on the south shore of Hilo Bay.[7] Missionaries came to the district in the early-to-middle 19th century, founding Haili Church.

Hilo expanded as sugar plantations in the surrounding area created jobs and drew in many workers from Asia. For example, by 1887, 26,000 Chinese workers worked in Hawai'i's sugar cane plantations,[8] one of which was the Hilo Sugar Mill. At that time, the Hilo Sugar Mill produced 3,500 tons of sugar annually.[9]

A breakwater across Hilo Bay was begun in the first decade of the 20th century and completed in 1929. On April 1, 1946, an 8.6-magnitude earthquake near the Aleutian Islands created a 46-foot (14-metre) tsunami that hit Hilo 4.9 hours later, killing 159 total in the islands,[10] with 96 deaths in Hilo alone. In response, an early warning system, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, was established in 1949 to track these killer waves and provide warning. This tsunami also caused the end of the Hawaii Consolidated Railway, and instead the Hawaiʻi Belt Road was built north of Hilo using some of the old railbed.[11]

On May 22, 1960, another tsunami, caused by a 9.5-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Chile that day, claimed 61 lives,[12] allegedly due to the failure of people to heed warning sirens. Low-lying bayfront areas of the city on Waiākea peninsula and along Hilo Bay, previously populated, were rededicated as parks and memorials.

Hilo expanded inland beginning in the 1960s. The downtown found a new role in the 1980s as the city's cultural center with several galleries and museums opening; the Palace Theater reopened in 1998 as an arthouse cinema movie palace.

Closure of the sugar plantations (including those in Hāmākua) during the 1990s hurt the local economy, coinciding with a general statewide slump.[13] Hilo in recent years has seen commercial and population growth.[14]

Geography

Hilo is on the eastern and windward side of the island.[15] It is classified by the US Census Bureau as a census-designated place (CDP), and has a total area of 58.3 sq mi (151.0 square kilometres), 53.4 sq mi (138.3 square kilometres) of which is land and 4.9 sq mi (12.7 square kilometres) of which (8.4%) is water.[16]

Climate

Hilo has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen: Af), with substantial rainfall throughout the year. Its location on the windward coast (relative to the trade winds), makes it the fourth-wettest city in the United States, behind the southeast Alaskan cities of Whittier, Ketchikan and Yakutat, and one of the wettest in the world. An average of around 126.72 inches (3,220 mm) of rain fell at Hilo International Airport annually between 1981 and 2010, with 272 days of the year receiving some rain.[17] Rainfall in Hilo varies with altitude, with more at higher elevations. At some weather stations in upper Hilo the annual rainfall is above 200 inches (5,100 mm).[18]

Monthly mean temperatures range from 71.2 °F (21.8 °C) in February to 76.4 °F (24.7 °C) in August.[17] The highest recorded temperature was 94 °F (34 °C) on May 20, 1996, and the lowest 53 °F (12 °C) on February 21, 1962.[19] The wettest year was 1994 with 182.81 inches (4,643.4 mm), and the driest was 1983, with 68.09 inches (1,729.5 mm). The most rainfall in one month was 50.82 inches (1,290.8 mm) in December 1954. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 27.24 inches (691.9 mm) on November 2, 2000.[20]

Hilo's location on the shore of the funnel-shaped Hilo Bay also makes it vulnerable to tsunamis.[21]

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Hilo had a population of 44,186. The median age was 42.7 years; 4.5% of residents were under the age of 5, 20.8% were under 18, and 23.4% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.3 males age 18 and over. Females made up 51.1% of the population.[22][23]

87.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 12.4% lived in rural areas.[24]

There were 16,132 households, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.0% were married-couple households, 19.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71.[22]

There were 17,732 housing units, of which 9.0% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%.[22]

Racial composition as of the 2020 census[23]
RaceNumberPercent
White7,24216.4%
Black or African American2480.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native1340.3%
Asian13,73631.1%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander6,89215.6%
Some other race5061.1%
Two or more races15,42834.9%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)5,06511.5%

Transportation

Air

Hilo is served by Hilo International Airport (ITO), where Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Mokulele Airlines, among various helicopter tour groups.

Rail

Main article: Hawaii Consolidated Railway

Hilo was served by the Hawaii Consolidated Railway from 1899 until 1946. The railway ran northbound to Paʻauilo and southbound to Pāhoa, Glenwood (near Volcano), and Kamaili.

Bus

Hilo is served by the county's Hele-On Bus.[25]

Major highways

Main article: List of state highways in Hawaii

Maritime

Hilo is served by the Big Island's largest harbor, Hilo Harbor, which is on Hilo Bay.[26]

Education

Main article: Schools of Hilo, Hawaii

Hilo is home to a number of educational institutions, including two post-secondary institutions, the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Hawaii Community College, and the Hilo and Waiakea primary and secondary school districts. Charter schools in the area serve primary and secondary students.

Government

Although sometimes called a city, Hilo is not an incorporated city, and does not have a municipal government.[27] The entire island, which is between the slightly larger state of Connecticut and smaller Rhode Island in size, is under the jurisdiction of the County of Hawaii, of which Hilo is the county seat. Hilo is home to county, state, and federal offices.[28][29]

Economy

The oldest city in the Hawaiian archipelago, Hilo's economy was historically based on the sugar plantations of its surrounding areas, prior to their closure in the 1990s.[13]

Tourism and events

While Hilo has a fairly significant tourism sector,[30] it gets less than half the annual visitors as the western coast of the Big Island, which has much sunnier weather and significantly less rain, with sandy and swimmable beaches and numerous major resorts.[13]

A main source of tourism in Hilo is the annual week-long Merrie Monarch Festival, the world's preeminent hula competition and festival, which brings in visitors and participants from all over the world.[30] It is held in the spring of each year beginning on Easter Sunday.

Hilo is often the air travel destination and accommodation location of choice from which to visit Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and also, when active, the lava flows from Kīlauea volcano, since both are on the east side (often called "Hilo side") of Hawaiʻi island, whereas the other airport on the island, Kona International Airport, is on the west side ("Kona side") of the island, at least 1.5 hour's drive away.

The local orchid society hosts the largest and most comprehensive orchid show in the state, the annual Hilo Orchid Show, which has been presented since 1951 and draws visitors and entrants worldwide.[31][32][33]

Hilo is home to Hawaii's only tsunami museum, mostly dedicated to the 1946 Pacific tsunami, and is notable for the banyan trees planted by Babe Ruth, Amelia Earhart and other celebrities. It is home to the Panaʻewa Rainforest Zoo, shopping centers, cafés and other eateries, movie theaters, hotels, restaurants, and a developed downtown area with a Farmers Market.[13] Downtown Hilo is bounded approximately by the Wailuku River, Kamehameha Avenue, Ponahawai Street, and Kapiolani Street.[34]

Corporations and science

The Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation is in Hilo, south of the main town off Hawaiʻi Belt Road, north of Keaau.

Hilo is home to most of the astronomical observatories on Mauna Kea as well as the ʻImiloa Planetarium and Museum. Astronomy has an economic impact of $100 million annually on the island.[35] Astronomy on Mauna Kea was developed at the invitation of the Hawaiʻi Chamber of Commerce following the collapse of the sugarcane industry.[36]

Culture

Notable people

Points of interest

Media

Hilo is served by KWXX (94.7FM Hilo/101.5FM Kona), B93/B97 (93.1FM Kona/97.1FM Hilo), The Wave (KHBC 92.7FM Hilo), and KPUA (970AM Hilo) radio stations.

Public Access television is provided through Nā Leo TV.

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald, of Oahu Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press,[38] is Hilo's primary newspaper distribution company along with other newspapers like the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Sister cities

Main articles: Hawaii County, Hawaii#Sister cities and List of sister cities in Hawaii

Since Hilo is not incorporated, its sister cities are congruent with those of the County of Hawaiʻi.

Legacy

Asteroid (342431) Hilo is named after Hilo.[39]

Hilo Districts

Hilo also referred to the District of Hilo when the Big Island was divided into six districts by the traditional moku land division. Hilo is now divided in two: North and South Hilo Districts.[40]

North Hilo District

The District of North Hilo, along Hawaiʻi Belt Road from north to south, encompasses the following unincorporated towns and localities:

There are locations inland along Route 200 including Mauna Kea mountain road, Puʻu Huluhulu, and others.

South Hilo District

Along the portion of Hawaiʻi Belt Road north of Hilo lies the following:

Along Hawaiʻi Belt Road inside and south of Hilo are:

Along Route 200 inside and west of Hilo are:

Jasmin Iolani Hakes' 2023 book Hula: A Novel, which won Honolulu magazine's award for Book of the Year About Hawaiʻi, is set in Hilo.[44][45]

References

  1. ^
  2. ^ "QuickFacts: Hilo CDP, Hawaii". census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  3. ^ "Find a County". naco.org. National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. ^ "Hilo CDP, Hawaii". factfinder.census.gov. US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2011-11-24. Retrieved May 21, 2009.
  5. ^
  6. ^ Hapai, Charlotte (1920-01-01). Legends of the Wailuku: as told by old Hawaiians. Honolulu, The Charles R. Frazier company. Archived 2017-07-05 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2016-08-18.
  7. ^ Ellis, William (2004). "Chapters 11 and 12". A Narrative of an 1823 Tour through Hawai'i. Honolulu: Mutual Publishing. ISBN 1-56647-605-4.
  8. ^ "Hawaii". Immigration to the United States. Archived 2019-09-05 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  9. ^ Laitinen, Denise (2013-09-18). "Then & Now: Hilo Sugar Mill/Wainaku Center". Ke Ola Magazine. Archived 2019-11-14 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  10. ^ Fisher, Scott; Goff, James; Cundy, Andrew; Sear, David (2023). "A qualitative review of tsunamis in Hawaiʻi". Natural Hazards. 118 (3): 1797–1832. Bibcode:2023NatHa.118.1797F. doi:10.1007/s11069-023-06076-w
  11. ^ Johnston, Jeanne Branch (2003). Personal Accounts from Survivors of the Hilo Tsunamis of 1946 and 1960: Toward a Disaster Communications Model (M.A.). University of Hawaii at Manoa. hdl:10125/7104
  12. ^ Gates, Alexander E. & Ritchie, David (2006). "Chilean 1960 earthquake". Encyclopedia of Earthquakes and Volcanoes. Infobase Publishing. p. 49. ISBN 9780816072705.
  13. ^ "Hello, Hilo". The Washington Post. 2004-05-23. Archived 2014-07-01 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
  14. ^ Lauer, Nancy Cook (December 22, 2019). "Hawaii Island leads state in population growth, despite some towns seeing declines". Hawaii Tribune-Herald. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  15. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". census.gov. US Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  16. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Hilo CDP, Hawaii". factfinder.census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved May 24, 2017.[dead link]
  17. ^ "Station: Hilo INTL AP, HI". U.S. Climate Normals 2020. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived 2023-06-18 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  18. ^ "Hilo, Hawaii information". noaa.gov. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Commerce Dept. Archived from the original on 2009-01-15.
  19. ^ "NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  20. ^ "Record 24-hour rainfall". noaa.gov. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Commerce Dept. Archived from the original on 2009-05-09.
  21. ^ "Where is Hilo Hawai'i?". tsunami.org. The Pacific Tsunami Museum. Archived from the original on 2009-05-28. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
  22. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
  23. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
  24. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
  25. ^ "Hawai'i Island Hele-On Bus". heleonbus.org. County of Hawai'i Mass Transit Agency. Archived 2009-05-03 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  26. ^ "Hilo Harbor". Harbor Division, Hawaii Department of Transportation. Archived 2017-01-07 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-10-24.
  27. ^ "Hawaii’s Census Geography". hawaii.gov. April 2024.
  28. ^ "Federal Building, U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, Hilo, HI". gsa.gov. US General Services Administration. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
  29. ^ "HAWAIʻI – Third Circuit". courts.state.hi.us. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
  30. ^ Yamanaka, Katie Young. "Hilo: The Hub of Natural Wonders". Hawaii.com. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  31. ^ Richard, Crystal (5 June 2017). "Jewels of the jungle sparkle at Hilo Orchid Show". Big Island Now. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  32. ^ largest and most comprehensive in the state
  33. ^ "63rd Annual Hilo Orchid Society Show and Sale". VoitStudios.com
  34. ^ "Walking Tour". downtownhilo.org. Hilo Downtown Improvement Association. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  35. ^ "Hawaii's astronomy sector brought an economic impact of $168 million in 2012". Pacific Business News. 23 December 2014. Archived 2019-05-31 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  36. ^ "Origins of astronomy in Hawaii » Malama Mauna Kea Library Catalog". malamamaunakea.org. Archived 2018-04-16 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  37. ^ "Education – Discovery Center". papahanaumokuakea.gov. Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration / State of Hawaii. Archived 2009-10-18 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
  38. ^ "Hawaii Tribune-Herald". hawaiitribune-herald.com. Black Press. Archived 2009-09-06 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
  39. ^ "HORIZONS System". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. NASA. Archived 2019-06-24 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
  40. ^ Bier, James A. Map of Hawai'i, the Big Island. 8th ed. University of Hawai'i Press.
  41. ^ "Laupahoehoe Train Museum". thetrainmuseum.com. Laupahoehoe Train Museum. Archived 2017-12-16 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2017-12-13.
  42. ^ "Prince Kuhio Plaza". princekuhioplaza.com. Archived 2019-06-24 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
  43. ^ "Puainako Center – Hilo, Hawaii Shopping Center". puainakocenter.com. Archived 2017-12-14 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2017-12-13.
  44. ^ Wallace, Don (2024). "Honolulu Book Awards". Honolulu magazine. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  45. ^ Cruz, Catherine (June 4, 2024). "Honolulu Magazine celebrates Hawaiʻi authors rising on national stage". Hawaii Public Radio. Retrieved August 13, 2024.

Further reading

  • Dudley, Walter C. (2016). Tsunami!. Latitude 20. ISBN 978-0824859169.