Kahului, HI

Kahului is a coastal town located on the island of Maui in Hawaii. As the retail hub of Maui, Kahului boasts several shopping centers and major department stores. With a population of 20,000, the town is home to almost one-third of the island's residents. Due to the large amount of commerce that takes place in Kahului, the town is not a typical tourist destination, as are many other Hawaiian cities. Many shipping vessels line the city's waterfront.

While the average U.S. city gets approximately 37 inches of rain each year, the rainfall total in Kahului is only 19 inches per year. Furthermore, the average number of days with enough precipitation to measure is 62 days per year. The average temperature in July hovers around 84 degrees Fahrenheit, and the average low temperature in January is 64 degrees. Kahului residents can expect to get an average of 273 days of sun each year.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Kahului relies heavily on its retail industry and the travel in and out of Kahului Airport to keep the town prosperous. The city is home to many major shopping malls and stores, including such large chain stores as Wal-Mart and Home Depot.

The unemployment rate in Kahului is generally low, but the cost of living is quite a bit higher than the national average.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Town Center: Houses in this suburban, coastal community are mostly medium-sized (three to four bedrooms) single-family homes. Town Center is mostly populated with seniors over the age of 65.

Spreckelsville/Village Two: This wealthy community of small (one to two bedrooms) homes is well established but is not old. It is home to a wide mix of age groups. This area is quiet and remote.

Puunene/Village Five: This area is primarily inhabited by manufacturers and laborers. It is a rural, quiet neighborhood that contains mostly rented medium-sized, single-family homes.

Kuihelani Highway: There are mostly small, single-family homes in this artsy suburban neighborhood. Owners and renters alike live in the relatively newer homes that were built from 1970 through 1994.

Kaahumanu Avenue/Papa Avenue: This walkable, funky area is an urban community with mostly small, single-family homes. Many age groups make up this established neighborhood.

Kuihelani Highway/Puunene Avenue: This urban neighborhood consists of mostly families with children. These midsized homes are located in a walking-accessible artsy community.

FOR VISITORS

Kana Beach County Park is known for being an excellent place to learn how to sailboard. Other activities ideal for this location include kite boarding and sea kayaking, as well as beginning surfing.

Kanaha Pond State Sanctuary is full of migratory birds and endangered Hawaiian species. Close to the airport, the sanctuary is also a good place to watch the planes fly in and out.

The Maui Nui Botanical Gardens are primarily focused on preserving native Hawaiian botanicals. The gardens are also home to a greenhouse, a playground, and a picnic area. The gardens were established in 1976 and currently grow several varieties of sugarcane, sweet potato, and taro.

The Wailua Valley State Wayside Park offers views of the Ke'anae Valley, gorgeous waterfalls, the Ko'olau Gap, Wailua Peninsula, and the rim of Haleakala Crater.

BEST BETS

Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum: The museum is located about 10 minutes from the Kahului Airport and is situated next to the HC&S (Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar) Company sugar mill, the largest raw sugar producer in Hawaii. The 1,800-square-foot building displays exhibits on the history of sugar in the area, giving visitors the opportunity to explore the overall impact the industry has had on Hawaii. The museum celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 2007, in which it celebrated having had more than 600,000 visitors since its opening.

Maui Arts and Cultural Center: The center opened in 1994 and has been a community resource ever since. It presents approximately 1,800 events per year, including educational opportunities as well as performances in hula, music, theater, ballet, acrobatics, storytelling, and other performing and visual arts.

Paper Airplane Museum: Finally finding a permanent home in the Maui Mall, the Paper Airplane Museum is run by "Tin Can Man," who has become well known for fashioning airplanes and other airplane memorabilia out of used aluminum cans. Paper airplanes are also on bountiful display.

EVENTS

The Maui Marathon takes place in the fall and starts in Kahului. Much of the scenic 26.2-mile course runs right alongside the Pacific Ocean.

BarryFest is Maui's annual music festival that benefits 91.5 FM, Maui's local radio station. The festival is held in honor of the station's cofounder, who died in 2007.

GETTING AROUND

The Kahului Airport covers almost 1,400 acres of land just outside of the city of Kahului. This is the main airport for travel in and out of Maui.

For Kahului residents driving to work, the average one-way daily commute is approximately 24 minutes.