50+ Facts About Hawaii That Are Way Too Amazing

Hawaii is known to be one of the most beautiful spots for vacation and honeymoons, but there’s so much more to appreciate. Here are some interesting and amazing facts about the Aloha State we all know and love:

1. The state of Hawaii consists of eight main islands: Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and the Big Island of Hawaii.
2. Along with the 8 main islands, there are 124 islets, reefs and shoals.
3. Hawaii is the most isolated population center on the face of the earth.
4. Hawaii is 2,390 miles from California; 3,850 miles from Japan; 4,900 miles from China; and 5,280 miles from the Philippines.
5. It was formed thousands of years ago from eruptions of undersea volcanoes.
6. Hawaii was the 50th state admitted to the union on August 20th, 1959.
7. Hawaii has its own time zone (Hawaiian Standard Time).
8. There is no daylight savings time in Hawaii.
9. If measured from East to West, Hawaii is the largest state in the country.
10. The world’s most active and the world’s largest volcano, Kilauea Iki, is on the Big Island. It hasn’t stopped erupting since 1983.
11. Most of the world’s macadamia nuts are grown on in Hawaii.
12. Hawaii is the only state that grows coffee commercially.
13. A lei flower is often used in celebrations and there are certain rules that are associated with it. One of them being that it’s considered rude if you refuse to wear one.
14. The State flag has the British flag in the corner and eight stripes (it represents the eight islands). The use of the Union Jack in the flag design is symbolic of the friendship between Britain and the Hawaiian Kingdom.
15. In Oahu, there is The Dole Plantation–a pineapple maze that consists of 14,000 carefully crafted colorful Hawaiian plants. This huge maze stretches over 3 acres!
16. Hawaii was the first state to ban plastic bags.
17. A luau is a feast. Many families in Hawai‘i celebrate a child’s first birthday, graduation or weddings with a luau
18. Hawaii is one of four states in the U.S. that has banned the use of billboards for advertising.
19. there are 2 types of lava seen all over Hawaii: the rough, rocky, fragmented kind called a’a and the smooth, ropy kind called pahoehoe.
20. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are home to more than 7,000 marine species.
21. Of the about 10,000 humpback whales that migrate to the north Pacific from January to April, about 2/3 are found in Hawaii.
22. The maximum speed limit on the entire island is only 50 mph.
23. There is a law in Kauai that states no building can be taller than a palm tree.
24. Gambling is illegal in Hawaii.
25. You can mail a coconut from Hawaii.
26. Aloha serves as both “hello” and “goodbye.”
27. Hawaiians take their shoes off before entering someone’s home.
28. “Wiki” (yes, like Wikipedia) is a Hawaiian word and means “Quick”.
29. The state fish is a humuhumunukunukua pua‘a (triggerfish).
30. The Hawaiian alphabet consists of only twelve letters. The five vowels are A,E, I, O,U. And the seven consonants are H,K,L,M,N,P,W.
31. Hawaii produces about 320,000 tons of pineapple each year.
32. The Big Island of Hawaii is home to the world’s biggest telescope, located on the top of Mauna Kea.
33. Hawaiians love spam.
34. There are no traffic lights or shopping malls on the island of Molokai.
35. The island of Niihau has no paved roads.
36. Niihau is also referred to as “Forbidden Isle.” It’s a privately-owned island with a population of 230 people. Access for the general public is highly limited.
37. Some movies that were filmed in Hawaii: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Jumanji: The Next Level and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Jurassic Park and Jurassic World, 50 First Dates, Soul Surfer.
38. It’s the only rabies-free state.
39. In Hawaii, there are two uniquely local words that describe a direction: Mauka (mow-kah) means on the mountain side and Makai (mah-kigh) means on the ocean side.
40. Some of the beaches have green and red sand. Some beaches also have black sand, due to the black lava ash that falls.
41. Hawaii is vulnerable to tsunamis. Since 1812, 24 tsunamis have been recorded.
42. Mount Waialeale is one of the wettest places on Earth. The annual precipitation is 373 inches and the wettest year that was ever recorded saw 683 inches of rain!
43. There aren’t any snakes in Hawaii.
44. There are only 2 types of mammals that are native: the hoary bat and the monk seal.
45. Surfing and outrigger canoe paddling are the official state sports.
46. McDonalds restaurants are prohibited from having the traditional red roofs, and rather, green roofs and no golden arches in order to blend in. This is similar to the banning of billboards – it’s just not nice to look at!
47. The temperature in Hawaii very rarely moves outside the 70-80 degree F range, and it’s always a bit humid. The highest temperature ever recorded was 100 degrees F.
48. Along the cliffs of the Big Island, there are many spectacular waterfalls so remote that they can be seen only from the sea or from the air.
49. Roosters and chickens roam free.
50. Some of the largest waves in the world can be found in Pe’ahi on the north shore of Maui. Aptly called Jaws by surfers, the surf break has produced waves of higher than 60 feet.
51. There are certain flowers and colors that represent each island.