Kaunakakai Hawaii Map

About Kaunakakai, Hawaii

Kaunakakai is a locality in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. It has a population of approximately 4,360. The population density is 111.9 people per km². Kaunakakai is located at 21.0896°N, 157.0174°W. It observes the Hawaii Standard Time — no DST (Pacific/Honolulu) timezone. ZIP code: 96748.

Kaunakakai breathes the slow, salty air of Maui's northern coast, a place where the land slopes gently towards the vast, shimmering Pacific. It lies 37.9 miles west-north-west of Kahului, HI (from Kahului, HI: bearing 292°T), and is situated 4.5 miles south-south-east of Kualapuu. The landscape here is a study in muted greens and earthy browns, a low-lying plain fringed by the distant, brooding presence of the West Maui Mountains. Sunlight, thick and golden, spills over everything, softening the edges of corrugated tin roofs and illuminating the occasional splash of bougainvillea that riots against weathered wood. The air itself carries the faint, sweet perfume of plumeria, mingling with the briny tang of the ocean, a constant, gentle reminder of the sea's proximity. This is the heart of Kalaupapa National Historical Park's gateway, a place deeply marked by a history of isolation and resilience, though the park itself is a separate peninsula. Kaunakakai's economy has long been tethered to the land, once a hub for pineapple plantations that have largely receded, leaving behind a more diversified, laid-back rhythm. The harbor, though modest, still welcomes fishing boats and the occasional inter-island ferry, a lifeline connecting this quiet corner of Molokai to the wider world. Along the main street, a scattering of local businesses, from a general store to a bakery, serve the daily needs of residents, their presence a quiet testament to a life lived at a more deliberate pace, where the sun’s arc across the sky dictates the day more than any clock.

About This Kaunakakai Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Kaunakakai, Hawaii — switch between views using the small square in the bottom left-hand corner of the map. Coordinates: 21.089636, -157.017398. 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 Kaunakakai and Maui County.

Detailed location data for Kaunakakai includes the ZIP code (96748), telephone area code (808), county seat of Maui County (Wailuku), 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 Kaunakakai is identified even where the name is shared across multiple counties or states. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.