Maui County, Hawaii

Maui County Education, Geography, and History

Maui County, officially County of Maui, is a county located in the state of Hawaii.  Based on the 2010 census, the population was 154,834.  Maui county was created in 1905. The county seat is Wailuku. Maui is named for a god from Hawaiian mythology.

Maui County is included in the Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Maui County Name

Maui is named for a god from Hawaiian mythology, Maui. Native Hawaiian tradition gives the origin of the island's name in the legend of Hawaiʻiloa, the Polynesian navigator attributed with discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. The story relates how he named the island of Maui after his son who in turn was named for the demigod Maui. According to legend, the demigod Maui raised all the Hawaiian Islands from the sea. The Island of Maui is also called the "Valley Isle" for the large fertile isthmus between its two volcanoes.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Maui County History

The island of Maui or Maui (pronounced /ˈmaʊ.iː/ in English, [ˈmɐu.i] in Hawaiian) is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at 727.2 square miles (1883.5 km²) and is the 17th largest island in the United States.Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest island in Maui County. Three other islands, Lanai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai, also belong to Maui County. Together, the four islands are known as Maui Nui. Wailuku is the seat of Maui County.

The county consists of the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai (except for a portion of Molokai that comprises Kalawao County), Kahoolawe, and Molokini. The latter two islands are uninhabited.

Kalawao County

Kalawao County is a separate county from the rest of Moloka'i, which is part of Maui County. Maui County does not claim jurisdiction over the three villages of Kalaupapa, Kalawao, and Waikolu. Some maps, however, do not show Kalawao as a separate county.

Kalawao County is a county located in the state of Hawaii. The county is on the Kalaupapa Peninsula, on the north coast of the island of Moloka'i. The small peninsula of Kalaupapa is isolated from the rest of Moloka'i by sea cliffs over a quarter-mile high - the only land access is a mule trail.

The county encompasses the Kalaupapa or Makanalua Peninsula, on the north coast of the island of Moloka'i. The small peninsula of Kalaupapa is isolated from the rest of Molokai by sea cliffs over a quarter-mile high - the only land access is a mule trail. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 90, making it the least-populous county in Hawaii and the second-least populous county in the United States after Loving County, Texas.

Because of the small population, Kalawao County does not have the functions of other Hawaii counties. It is a judicial district of Maui County, which includes the rest of the island of Moloka'i. The county has no elected government. Developed and used from 1866 to 1969 for settlements for treatment of quarantined persons with leprosy, it is administered by the Hawaii Department of Health. The only county statutes that apply to Kalawao County directly are on matters of health.

Kalawao County is included in the Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,398 square miles (6,210 km²), of which 1,162 square miles (3,010 km²) is land and 1,237 square miles (3,200 km²) (51.6%) is water.

 Maui county is located close to the center of Hawaii.       The islands that comprise Maui County correspond to the remnants of the ancient landmass of Maui Nui. The highest point in the county is the peak of Haleakala at 10,012 ft. Haleakala is a shield volcano located on the eastern side of the island of Maui.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Surrounding area: North Pacific Ocean
• Northwest: Kalawao County

Education

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