Which island is home to the world's most active volcano, Kīlauea?

Kīlauea, the world's most active volcano, is on Hawaii Island, also called the Big Island. It sits along the island's southeastern coast within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Kīlauea is a broad shield volcano built by many relatively fluid basaltic lava flows. Its summit includes Kaluapele, a large caldera, and Halemaʻumaʻu, a crater that has repeatedly hosted active lava vents and lakes. The volcano rises about 1,247 metres above sea level.

Its reputation comes from unusually frequent eruptions. Activity along Kīlauea's East Rift Zone was nearly continuous from 1983 to 2018, and intermittent summit eruptions resumed in December 2020. Kīlauea has also been erupting episodically since December 2024.

Hawaii Island is often confused with the U.S. state of Hawaii, which includes several islands. Honolulu and Waikīkī are on Oahu; Kīlauea is on the much larger southeastern island officially named Hawaiʻi.