Kailua-Kona is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. It is also known as Kailua (a name it shares with a community on the windward side of Oahu), as Kona (a name it shares with the district to which it belongs) and as Kona Town. Kailua-Kona is the second-largest settlement on the island of Hawaii (after Hilo) and the largest on the island's west side, where it is the center of commerce and the tourist industry. Kailua-Kona is served by Kona International Airport, just to the north in the adjacent CDP of Kalaoa. The population was 19,713 at the 2020 census, up from 11,975 at the 2010 census.
Kailua-Kona was the closest major settlement to the epicenter of the 2006 Kiholo Bay earthquake.
Kailua-Kona's boundaries were altered significantly for the 2020 census. The eastern portion of Kailua-Kona became part of the neighboring Holualoa CDP, while the western portion of Holualoa became part of Kailua-Kona.
History
The community was established by King Kamehameha I to be his seat of government when he was chief of Kona before he consolidated rule of the archipelago in 1795. It was later designated as the capital of the newly unified Kingdom of Hawaii. The capital was later moved to Lāhainā, and then to Honolulu.
Royal fishponds at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park were the hub of unified Hawaiian culture. The town later functioned as a retreat of the Hawaiian royal family. Up until the late 1900s, Kailua-Kona was primarily a small fishing village. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the region has undergone a real estate and construction boom fueled by tourism and investment.
Geography
Kailua-Kona is located at (19.649973, −155.994028), along the shoreline of Kailua Bay and up the southern slope of Hualālai volcano. There are no major rivers or streams in Kailua-Kona or on the Kona side of Hawaii.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the Town has a total area of , of which are land and , or 10.67%, are water.
Kailua-Kona is bordered to the north by Kalaoa, to the south by Holualoa, and to the west by the Pacific Ocean from Kailua Bay in the south to Honokohau Bay in the north. The Kailua-Kona postal code is 96740 (post office boxes – 96745).
Climate
Kailua-Kona has a tropical, semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh) with warm temperatures year-round, typical of its latitude in the tropics. It is the warmest place in the United States of America in January on average. The coolest month is February, with an average high temperature of , while the warmest is August, with an average high of . In addition to being the warmest place in the United States in January, it is also the city with the highest record low in the United States with an all-time low temperature of . Humidity is generally between 50% and 70%. Kailua-Kona is generally dry, with an average annual precipitation of . Mornings are typically clear, while thermal clouds created in the day raise the temperature during the day.
Vog can cover parts of the Kona coast from time to time depending on the activity of the Kilauea volcano and the island winds. Kailua-Kona is located on the leeward side of the Hualalai Volcano, sheltering the town from wind and rain.
Demographics
2000 Census data
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,870 people, 3,537 households, and 2,429 families residing in Kailua-Kona. The population density was . There were 4,322 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the City was 38.7% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 18.3% Asian, 13.2% Pacific Islander, 1.9% from other races, and 27.07% from two or more races. 10.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,537 households, out of which 35.0% had 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 Kailua-Kona 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.