Hawaiian Islands Size Population

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What Are the Sizes and Populations of Each Island of Hawaii?

QUESTION

How big is each Hawaiian island? What is the population of each? How many Hawaiian islands are there? How many can I visit?

ANSWER

There are over 140 islands that make up the state of Hawaii, but tourists only visit the six largest islands. See the image below for a comparison of the relative sizes of the eight largest Hawaiian islands. Here are the eight largest in order of size.

Hawaiian Islands population

List of Hawaiian Islands by area and population.

Island	Area – Square Miles	Population – July 2018 census
Hawaii	4028	200,983
Maui	727	153,997
Oahu	597	980,080
Kauai	552	72,133
Molokai	260	East: 4,143 West: 2,751 Kalawao: 86
Lanai	141	3,203
Niihau	70	170 (2010 census)
Kahoolawe	45	0

Maui (Second Largest Hawaiian Island) Population by Region

Kihei: 24,482
Lahaina: 23,568
Waihee-Waikapu: 7,647
Wailuku: 22,234
Kahului: 30,706
Puunene: 0
Spreckelsville: 339
Makawao-Paia: 20,563
Haiku-Pauwela: 9,226
Hana: 1,726
Kula: 13,506

The largest eight islands are in order of size in the above table. Those same islands in order of population are Oahu (including the city of Honolulu), Hawaii (often called “The Big Island”), Maui (The Valley Isle), Kauai (The Garden Isle), Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and the least populated island in Hawaii, Kahoolawe.

Many people confuse the most populated island, Oahu (the third largest island), with the largest island, the Big Island of Hawaii. People who have only been to Honolulu often mistakenly say they have only been to the “big island,” but in fact, the island they went to is Oahu. The most famous parts of the state of Hawaii, Waikiki Beach, Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, and the Polynesian Cultural Center, are all on the island of Oahu. More people visit Oahu than any of the other Hawaiian islands because of those sights and because there are more direct flights from the United States and other countries to Oahu than to any of the other islands. But each island is unique, and each island is worth visiting. Be it the mysterious green sand beach on the Big Island or Waimea Canyon (which Mark Twain described as the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” on Kauai, or even the Black sand beaches on Maui, no matter which islands you visit, you will find something fascinating to explore.