How Big Is Hawaii? (See How Crazy This Is!)

Hawaii Is the Most Remote State in the United States

Hawaii is a small state compared to others in the US. It covers an area of 10,931 square miles (28,313 square kilometers), making it the 47th largest in the country. By comparison, Texas is 261,914 square miles (678,354 square kilometers), which is nearly 24 times bigger.

Hawaii is the most remote and diverse state in the United States. It’s made up of eight major islands and over 120 smaller ones.

Islands

Hawaii Island is about 4,000 square miles, making it the largest of the eight major islands.

Maui is the second-largest island of the eight major islands. Oahu is the third-largest island, and Kauai is the fourth-largest island.

The smallest of the eight major islands is Kahoolawe, which is just 44,6 square miles.

Smaller islands include:

• Molokai  — 260 square miles
• Lanai — 140 square miles
• Niihau — 70 square miles

History of Hawaii

On August 21, 1959, Hawaii was officially admitted to the United States as the 50th state. It’s the only one in the U.S. that’s located in two different time zones: Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time and Pacific Standard Time.

The first inhabitants of Hawaii were Polynesians who arrived sometime between 300 and 700 AD.

Captain James Cook discovered Hawaii in 1778 and claimed it for Great Britain. In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani was overthrown in a coup supported by the U.S. government.

In 1898, Hawaii was annexed by the United States and became a territory. The Territory of Hawaii was dissolved in 1959, later becoming the 50th state.

How Big Is Hawaii Using Visual Comparisons

Visualize Hawaii within Florida

Let’s visually compare Hawaii with Florida state.

Hawaii is approximately 12% of the size of Florida.

Visualize Hawaii with Distance from Washington DC and Boston

The distance between Ni’ihau and Hawaii following a straight longitudinal line is about 300 miles (480 kilometers). For perspective, the distance between Washington, D.C., and Boston is approximately 387 miles (624 kilometers).

Visualize Hawaii and Italy

Hawaii is approximately 5.5% of the size of Italy.

Visualize Hawaii and the Great Lakes

Hawaii is approximately 6.8% of the size of the Great Lakes.

Visualize Hawaii and Washington Metropolitan Area

Hawaii is only 15% larger than the Washington metropolitan area.

Facts About Hawaii (Video)