How Big is Maui? Plus Other Amazing Facts About the Island

If you haven’t had a chance to visit the Hawaiian islands yet, I sincerely hope you do at some point. For folks flying to Hawaii, flying from Los Angeles’s LAX airport is usually the way to go. Flight time from LAX to Hawaii’s Honolulu airport (HNL) is just under 6 hours.

Once you arrive in Maui, what can you expect? Let’s take a look at some important factors for your visit or just some interesting facts for those of you that want to learn more about this beautiful island.

How Big is Maui?

Maui is the second-largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago. The 735 square miles make Maui the 17th largest island in the United States. In more practical terms, Maui measures 48 miles long and 26 miles wide.

Hawaii as a whole is larger than New Jersey, yet it would fit inside the state of Texas 25 times!

What is the Population of Maui?

Population estimates as of July 1st, 2021 come in at 164,000. That is a very small drop of 0.3% from estimates on April 1st, 2020.

Maui’s population had been pretty healthy since the 1970s. Prior to then, World War 2 attributed to a decline in the population of the island during the 1940s and 1950s.

Between 1970 and 1990 Maui’s population actually doubled, going from roughly 46,000 people to over 100,000.

What is the Biggest City in Maui?

The city of Kahului and its population of 26,337 makes it the largest city in Maui. This accounts for roughly 25% of the total population of Maui island.

What Other Cities are in Maui?

A close second to Kahului is Kihei’s 20,881 population. These two cities account for about 45% of the total population on the island.

Here is a look at the largest cities on Maui by population:

CITYPOPULATION (2010)
Kahului26.337
Kihei20,881
Wailuku15,313
Lahaina11,704
Waihee-Waiehu8,841
Haiku-Pauwela8,118
Pukalani7,574
Napili-Honokowai7,261
Makawao7,184
Kula6,452
maui weather

What is the Weather Like in Maui?

Maui’s climate can range wildly because of its physical environment characteristics. Half of Maui island is within 5 miles, or 8 kilometers of the coastline.

Maui’s daytime temperatures average between 75 F (24 C) and 90 F (32 C) year-round. In the evening, a drop between 15-18 F is common depending on the region and elevation of the island.

What is the Meaning of Maui?

The island of Maui was named after a Polynesian demigod recently made more famous by the Disney animated movie Moana. The shape-shifting Maui character (see also ‘How Tall Is A Hobbit?‘) was voiced by actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

The movie was released in late 2016 and grossed over $640,000,000 worldwide. The film has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 95% and with a PG rating and 1 hour and 47-minute runtime, I highly recommend you watch it, even if you don’t have any kids.

Native Hawaiian culture describes Maui as a “trickster” with a powerful fish hook named Manaiakalani. The mythology is that Maui created the Hawaiian islands by tricking his brothers into going fishing with him.

Does Maui Have any Volcanoes?

There are two volcanoes located on the Hawaiian island of Maui, though only one, Haleakala, is an active volcano. Haleakala has erupted at least ten times in the past 1,000 years.

Mauna Kahalawai is the other, which is more well known as the West Maui Mountains.

Can you see the Big Island from Maui?

The big island of Hawaii is visible from the east side of Maui as well as the top of the Haleakala volcano.

maui golf course

Read More: 9 Everyday Things That Are 6 Inches Long

How Many Golf Courses Does Maui Have?

Maui has 14 golf courses to choose from with some being ranked among the world’s best. Golf elites such as Arnold Palmer and Ben Crenshaw are among notable contributors that have helped design some of these courses.

Nick Spieth