Black Sands, Hawaii — interactive Google street map, satellite and terrain views, Street View, live National Weather Service conditions and 7-day forecasts, real-time local and world news, and an editorial description of Black Sands, Hawaii County.
| City | Black Sands |
| State | Hawaii (HI) |
| County | Hawaii |
| Country | United States of America |
| Timezone | Hawaii Standard Time — no DST (Pacific/Honolulu) |
| Latitude | 19.412161 |
| Longitude | -154.960408 |
| Population | 354 |
| Density | 169.5 /km² |
| Incorporated | N/A |
| ZIP Code(s) | 96778 |
| Area Code | 808 |
| County Seat | Hilo |
| School District | Hawaii Department of Education |
Black Sands is a locality in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. It is a small community with a population of 354. The population density is 169.5 people per km². Black Sands is located at 19.4122°N, 154.9604°W. It observes the Hawaii Standard Time — no DST (Pacific/Honolulu) timezone. ZIP code: 96778.
Black Sands sprawls where the land surrenders to the Pacific, a stark and beautiful testament to the earth's raw power. It lies 23.0 miles south-south-east of Hilo, HI (from Hilo, HI: bearing 159°T), and is situated 7.9 miles south-south-east of Ainaloa. The landscape here is a dramatic symphony of obsidian shores meeting a restless turquoise sea, the volcanic rock a deep, matte black that absorbs the sun's fierce glare and offers a strange, quiet heat long after dusk. Jagged lava fields, softened by the patient encroachment of hardy coastal vegetation, roll inland, their textures a rough, porous canvas against the vibrant green of the encroaching forest. The air, thick with the saline tang of the ocean and the faint, sweet perfume of unseen blossoms, carries the constant, hushed roar of the surf, a relentless rhythm that defines the very breath of Black Sands. The history of Black Sands is inextricably linked to the volcanic heart of the island, its very ground a molten narrative poured forth eons ago. For generations, the people of this coast have lived by the bounty of the sea and the resilience of the land, their economy a delicate dance between fishing the deep waters and cultivating the rich, dark soil that yields tropical fruits and vibrant flowers. This is a place where the echoes of ancient Hawaiian traditions still whisper on the trade winds, a cultural character forged in the crucible of isolation and survival, where the pace of life is dictated not by clocks but by the ebb and flow of the tides and the slow, steady growth of the islands.
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This page provides an interactive Google map of Black Sands, Hawaii with street, satellite and terrain views and integrated Street View imagery. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service, with current observations and a 7-day forecast also powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time local news and world news feeds keep the page current, while a Wikipedia summary or an editorially written description provides background on Black Sands and Hawaii County.
Detailed location data for Black Sands includes the ZIP code (96778), telephone area code (808), county seat of Hawaii County (Hilo), and school district assignment (Hawaii Department of Education). These are among the most commonly searched location details for any US city or town.
Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity — ensuring the correct Black Sands is identified even where the name is shared across multiple counties or states. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.
| Page generated | June 2026 |
| Location data | SimpleMaps US Cities Database; coordinates matched to USGS GNIS definitive data |
| Wikipedia validation | Article content matched to USGS GNIS coordinates via Wikipedia geosearch API. Location verified by proximity — not name matching alone. |