What is the capital of Hawaii?

The capital of Hawaii is Honolulu.

Honolulu sits on the southeastern coast of Oʻahu and serves as the seat of Hawaii’s state government. Its excellent natural harbor helped it grow from an important Hawaiian port into the islands’ political and commercial center. Honolulu is also Hawaii’s largest population center and the location of Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

The city became the capital of the independent Hawaiian Kingdom in 1845 under King Kamehameha III. It retained that role after Hawaii became a U.S. territory and continued as the capital when Hawaii entered the United States as the 50th state in 1959. The name Honolulu is commonly translated as “sheltered harbor” or “calm port.”

A common mix-up is confusing Honolulu with Oʻahu. Oʻahu is the island; Honolulu is the capital area on that island. Hawaii is also the only U.S. state whose capital lies outside the North American mainland.