What is the largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago?

Hawaii Island is the largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago.

Often called the Big Island, Hawaii Island covers about 10,430 square kilometres, making it larger than all the other Hawaiian islands combined. It is the southeastern and youngest major island in the chain.

The island contains five major volcanoes: Kohala, Mauna Kea, Hualālai, Mauna Loa, and Kīlauea. Mauna Loa and Kīlauea remain active, and eruptions have repeatedly added new land along the coast. Mauna Kea reaches 4,207 metres above sea level, while Mauna Loa is the largest shield volcano by volume.

The island is officially called Hawaii Island to distinguish it from the state of Hawaii and the archipelago as a whole. Saying simply “Hawaii” can therefore create ambiguity, although “Big Island” is the common informal name.