Why visit Kaunakakai
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 5 places to eat and 7 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Kākalahale, Kukuiokahoʻāliʻi, Archeological Sites at Kawela and Kiowea Beach Park.
September is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 64°F.
Weather in Kaunakakai
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Kaunakakai
Kaunakakai (Hawaiian pronunciation: [kɐwnəkəˈkɐj]) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaiʻi, United States. It is the largest town on the island of Molokaʻi. The population was 3,419 at the 2020 census. It has the largest port on the island and the longest pier in Hawaii.
From the Wikipedia article Kaunakakai, Hawaii (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do7
Museums and landmarks5
Archeological Sites at Kawela
Monument and historic site · 3.8 mi
Archeological sites in Hawaii
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes5
Kanemitsu's Bakery and Coffee Shop
Bakery · 1.3 mi
Mo, We-Su 07:00-13:30
Kanimitsu hot bread bakery
Bakery · 1.3 mi
Nightly hot bread bakery
hotel lane
Su 19:00-23:00; Tu-Th 19:00-23:00; Fr,Sa 19:00-24:00
History
In the mid-1800s, King Kamehameha V sometimes spent his summers on Moloka'i at a home in Kaunakakai. The main street of Kaunakakai, Ala Malama Avenue, was named after the king's summer home.
Around mid-1935, the song was written for the celebration of the first honorary mayor, 'The Cockeyed Mayor of Kaunakakai', during the vacation visit by Academy Award-winning Best Actor in 1929, Warner Baxter. The "election" was a seven-day celebration by the locals and Baxter's vacation party.
From the History section of Kaunakakai, Hawaii on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship5
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Place of worship · Jehovahs Witness · 2.4 mi
Mauna Loa Highway, Kaunakakai
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Kualapuu School - Public Conversion Charter
School · 5.1 mi
260 Farrington Hwy, Kualapuu
Healthcare1
Map of Kaunakakai
34 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79°F | 64°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 79°F | 65°F | 2.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 79°F | 66°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 81°F | 67°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 83°F | 69°F | 1.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 85°F | 72°F | 0.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 73°F | 0.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 73°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 87°F | 73°F | 1.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 86°F | 71°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 83°F | 70°F | 2.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 80°F | 67°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Molokai Ap 91186 (7 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Maui County has had 29 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2026-10-07: Hurricane Lala (Hurricane)
- 2026-10-07: Hurricane Lowell (Hurricane)
- 2026-09-25: Tropical Storm Nolo (Tropical Storm)
- 2026-04-07: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2025-09-23: Holomua Fire (Fire)
- 2023-08-10: Wildfires And High Winds (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Molokai Airport (MKK) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Kualapuu 6 mi northwest, about 10 min by car
- Lanai City 19 mi south, about 31 min by car
- Napili-Honokowai 23 mi east, about 37 min by car
- Kaanapali 23 mi southeast, about 37 min by car
- Mahinahina 24 mi southeast, about 39 min by car
- Lahaina 26 mi southeast, about 42 min by car
- Waihee-Waiehu 34 mi east, about 54 min by car
- Wailuku 35 mi southeast, about 57 min by car
- Waikapu 35 mi southeast, about 57 min by car
- Kahului 38 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Downtown Kaunakakai, The original uploader was Sanba38 at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 2.5
- Molokai Sunset Over Kaunakakai James Brennan Hawaii - panoramio, James Brennan Moloka…, CC BY 3.0
- Kaunakakai, HI, USA - panoramio, Patrick_McNally, CC BY 3.0
- Kaunakakai Banner, Rose_Braverman, CC BY 3.0
- Isognomon californicus 67338211, Peter Chen 2.0, CC BY 4.0
- Ocypode ceratophthalmus 67318373, Peter Chen 2.0, CC BY 4.0
- Ocypode ceratophthalmus 67261774, Peter Chen 2.0, CC BY 4.0
- Ocypode ceratophthalmus 67338229, Peter Chen 2.0, CC BY 4.0
- Metopograpsus thukuhar-dorsal, Peterwchen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Metopograpsus thukuhar-dark, Peterwchen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Polistes exclamans-nest, Peterwchen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gasteracantha cancriformis-female, Peterwchen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Diploptera punctata adult, Peterwchen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ocypode ceratophthalmus-dorsal, Peterwchen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Isognomon californicum, Peterwchen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Veronicella cubensis, Peterwchen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Thelacantha brevispina-female, Peterwchen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rainbow Shower Tree by Carole Grogloth - panoramio, Carole Grogloth Molo…, CC BY 3.0
- Molokai Sunset over Molokai Harbor, photo by Rose Braverman - panoramio, Rose_Braverman, CC BY 3.0
- Hawaii Sunset over the Ocean, Molokai Harbor (photo by Rose Braverman) - panoramio, Rose_Braverman, CC BY 3.0
- Dragonfly Alden Cornell Molokai Hawaii, Alden Cornell, CC BY 3.0
- Fishing Boat in Molokai Harbor, James Brennan Molokai Hawaii - panoramio, James Brennan Moloka…, CC BY 3.0
- Island of Molokai 1957, Cliffpov, CC BY 4.0
- Hawaii Amakihi (Chlorodrepanis virens) Molokai, Hawaii, James Brennan from Molokai Hawaii, United States, CC BY 2.0
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