Kukuihaele, Hawaii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kukuihaele, Hawaii
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Location in Hawaii County and the state of Hawaii
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| Country | United States |
| State | Hawaii |
| County | Hawaiʻi |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.29 sq mi (5.94 km2) |
| • Land | 1.71 sq mi (4.44 km2) |
| • Water | 0.58 sq mi (1.50 km2) |
| Elevation | 730 ft (185 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 281 |
| • Density | 164.04/sq mi (63.34/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-10 (Hawaii-Aleutian) |
| ZIP code |
96727
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| Area code(s) | 808 |
| FIPS code | 15-41000 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0361536 |
Kukuihaele is a small community in Hawaiʻi County, Hawaiʻi, United States. It's known as a "census-designated place" (CDP). This means it's an area that the U.S. Census Bureau identifies for gathering statistics, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. In 2020, about 281 people lived here.
Contents
Geography
Kukuihaele is located on the northern side of the island of Hawaii. It sits high up on cliffs, about 730 feet (185 meters) above Waipio Bay. Imagine looking down from a tall cliff over the ocean!
A road called Hawaii Route 240 goes through the southern part of Kukuihaele. This road ends less than 1 mile (1.6 km) to the west at a famous spot where you can look out over the beautiful Waipio Valley. If you go east on the road for about 7 miles (11 km), you'll reach Honokaa. The city of Hilo is about 50 miles (80 km) to the southeast.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the total area of Kukuihaele is about 2.29 square miles (5.9 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 1.71 square miles (4.4 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.58 square miles (1.5 square kilometers), is water, making up about 25% of its total area.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 281 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, the population of Kukuihaele was 281 people. Back in 2000, there were 317 people living in the area.
In 2000, there were 106 households in Kukuihaele. About 31% of these households had children under 18 living there. The average household had about 3 people. The median age of people in Kukuihaele was 40 years old.
History
Kukuihaele is a special place because it was where the first cinchona trees were planted on the Hawaiian Islands. These trees are important because they are used to make quinine, a medicine that was once very important for treating malaria. A person named David McHattie Forbes planted these trees in the early 1900s.
In ancient Hawaii, Kukuihaele was known as "the land of many heiau" (pronounced hey-ow). Heiau were ancient Hawaiian temples or sacred places. A famous healing priest, known as a Kahuna la'au lapa'au, named Kamakanui'ahailono, lived here a long time ago. He taught many people how to become healers. Sadly, most of these heiau were destroyed by sugar planters in the past, but one still remains.
See also
In Spanish: Kukuihaele para niños
