Wainaku Hawaii Map

About Wainaku, Hawaii

Wainaku is a locality in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. It has a population of approximately 1,147. The population density is 335.2 people per km². Wainaku is located at 19.7426°N, 155.0921°W. It observes the Hawaii Standard Time — no DST (Pacific/Honolulu) timezone. ZIP code: 96720.

Wainaku stretches across a jagged volcanic shoreline where the salt-heavy air of the Pacific Ocean constantly brushes against the cooling earth. It lies 1.4 miles north-northwest of Hilo, HI (from Hilo, HI: bearing 346°T), and is situated 6.3 miles south of Pepeekeo. The landscape is defined by the dark, porous texture of basalt, a rugged foundation that anchors the land against the relentless pulse of the tide. Inland, the horizon is dominated by the distant, silent presence of Mauna Kea, while the local terrain yields to the subtle erosion of Kīohoʻole Gulch. Nearby, the waters of Pūkīhae Stream carve a quiet path toward the coast, and the lush, verdant canopy of the Panaʻewa Forest Reserve shadows the interior, offering a stark contrast to the open, wind-swept expanse of the State Department of Land State Resource Management Area that defines the immediate edge of the water.

Wainaku bears the quiet weight of a transition from the era of expansive sugarcane cultivation to a more intimate, modern rhythm. The legacy of the mills still lingers in the older architecture and the way the morning light catches the remnants of terraced agriculture, a reminder of the generations who navigated these slopes. Residents often find their way toward the mist of Rainbow Falls or find solitude near the quiet banks of Waihonu Pond, moving with a pace that honors the kuleana of the land. Life here remains tethered to the sea and the memory of the nearby Reeds Island, preserving a cultural character that prioritizes the steady, unadorned observation of the tides over the frantic speed of the outside world.

About This Wainaku Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Wainaku, Hawaii. Coordinates: 19.74255, -155.092149. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service. Real-time local and world news feeds keep the page current.

Detailed location data for Wainaku includes the ZIP code (96720), telephone area code (808), county seat of Hawaii County (Hilo), and school district assignment (Hawaii Department of Education).

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.