Why visit Lihue
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 12 parks and trails, 34 places to eat, 8 places to stay and 8 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Kipu Falls, Kalanipuʻu, Kauai Museum and Albert Spencer Wilcox Building.
September is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 66°F.
Weather in Lihue
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lihue
Līhuʻe (Hawaiian pronunciation: [liːˈhuʔe]), sometimes written as Lihue, is an unincorporated community, census-designated place (CDP) and the county seat of Kauaʻi County, Hawaii, United States. Līhuʻe is the second-largest town on the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi, following Kapaʻa. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a population of 6,455, up from 5,694 at the 2000 census.
From the Wikipedia article Līhuʻe, Hawaii (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do8
Kipu Falls
Waterfall · 4.4 mi
Waterfall in Kauai, Hawaii, United States
Museums and landmarks14
Albert Spencer Wilcox Building
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Library building in Kauai County, Hawaii
Grove Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic house in Hawaii, United States
Lihue Civic Center Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic district in Hawaii, United States
Lihue Hongwanji Mission
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic mission near Lihue, Hawaii, United States
United States Post Office–Lihue
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Post office in Kauai County, United States of America
Blue Hawaiian Helicopters
Monument and historic site · 1.0 mi
3730 Ahukini Road, Lihue
Mo-Su 07:00-17:00
Heritage railways in Kauai
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
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Menehune Fishpond
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Kapaia Suspension Bridge
Monument and historic site · 1.4 mi
Also known as the Kapaia Swinging Bridge.
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds12
Nawiliwili Beach Park
Park · 0.9 mi
Park in Hawaii, United States of America
Restaurants and cafes34
Garden Island BBQ & Chinese Restaurant
Restaurant · 0.5 mi
4252 Rice Street
Mo-Su 10:00-20:30
Hamura Saimin
Restaurant · Hawaiian · 0.6 mi
Mo-Th 10:00-22:30; Fr,Sa 10:00-24:00, Su 10:00-21:30
22 more on the map.
History
In ancient times, Līhuʻe was a small village. Līhuʻe means "cold chill" in the Hawaiian language. Līhuʻe is in the ancient district of Puna, the southeastern coast of the island, and the land division (ahupuaʻa) of Kalapaki. Royal Governor Kaikioʻewa officially made it his governing seat in 1837, moving it from Waimea; he named the town after land he owned on Oahu by the same name.
With the emergence of the sugar industry in the 1800s, Līhuʻe became the central city of the island with the construction of a large sugar mill. Early investors were Henry A. Peirce, Charles Reed Bishop and William Little Lee. The plantation struggled until William Harrison Rice built the first irrigation system in 1856.
From the History section of Līhuʻe, Hawaii on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay8
Churches and places of worship9
Shopping13
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries30
Healthcare3
Map of Lihue
137 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79°F | 66°F | 2.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 78°F | 66°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 78°F | 67°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 80°F | 70°F | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 82°F | 71°F | 2.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 73°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 75°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 75°F | 2.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 85°F | 75°F | 2.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 84°F | 74°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 81°F | 71°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 79°F | 69°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Lihue Wso Ap 1020.1 Gsn 91165 (1 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
Kauai County has had 16 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-10-07: Hurricane Lowell (Hurricane)
- 2026-09-25: Tropical Storm Nolo (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-06-17: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides (Flood)
- 2020-07-25: Hurricane Douglas (Hurricane)
- 2020-07-09: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-01: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Lihue Airport (LIH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 1 miles away.
- Hanamaulu 2 mi north, about 3 min by car
- Kapaa 8 mi north, about 13 min by car
- Koloa 8 mi southwest, about 13 min by car
- Lawai 10 mi west, about 16 min by car
- Kalaheo 11 mi west, about 18 min by car
- Anahola 12 mi north, about 20 min by car
- Hanapepe 15 mi west, about 25 min by car
- Eleele 15 mi west, about 25 min by car
- Kilauea 17 mi north, about 28 min by car
- Kaumakani 18 mi west, about 29 min 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
- Lihue-hawaii-aerial, Christopher P. Becker aka Polihale at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Borders Bookstore - Lihue, Kauai (2503902404), brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Nene goose Lihue, Nene Roger, CC0
- Lihue Kauai Airport Garden (53741601690), Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0
- 2025 Lihue Airport 03, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2025 Lihue Airport 04, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2025 Lihue Airport 05, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2025 Lihue Airport 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ahukini Rd, Lihue (502920) (16305788493), Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0
- 2025 Lihue Airport 01, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rental Car Shuttle at Lihue Airport LIH Kauai Hawaii, Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0
- 2021-10-08 16 33 22 Waiting area within Lihue Airport in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2021-10-07 07 47 26 Exit outside at the front of the terminal at Lihue Airport in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2021-10-08 16 57 58 Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717 (N490HA) at Lihue Airport in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2021-10-07 07 45 26 Corridor within Lihue Airport in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2021-10-07 08 19 31 View west along Hawaii State Route 570 (Ahukini Road) just west of Hawaii State Route 51 (Kapule Highway) in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2021-10-07 07 46 46 Baggage claim within Lihue Airport in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lihue Airport, Lihue (503252) (17022613987), Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0
- Lihue Airport terminal viewed from taxiway, Oct 2014, Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0
- American Airlines Boeing 757 at Lihue, Nov 2005, Jeff Kramer from Austin, US, CC BY 2.0
- Lihue Civic Center County Building, John Hatakeyama, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Harbor Mall, Rice St, Nawiliwili, Lihue - panoramio (1), Bob Linsdell, CC BY 3.0
- Harbor Mall, Rice St, Nawiliwili, Lihue - panoramio, Bob Linsdell, CC BY 3.0
- Harbor Mall, Rice St, Nawiliwili, Lihue (503048) (17765707386), Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0
- No Kings Protest - Lihue, Kauai - Hawaii 28 March 2026, Librarygroover, CC BY 4.0
- Carving at Lihue Museum- from far away I thought it was a giant banana (8734735146), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Nawiliwili, Lihue - panoramio, Bob Linsdell, CC BY 3.0
- Unknown palm tree - Marriott Beach Resort - Lihue, Kauai (2456859078), brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kauai-Lihue-postoffice, Joel Bradshaw, Public domain
- Kauai-GroveFarm-Homestead, Joel Bradshaw, Public domain
- Kauai-AlbertSpencerWilcox-building-facade, Joel Bradshaw, Public domain
- County Building and Park, Rykeramimoto, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kauai-Lihue-Hongwanji, Joel Bradshaw, Public domain
- Alekoko fishpond, Collin Grady, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kipu Falls (5410155454), Bryce Edwards from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Aerial View of Kauai From Helicopter Hawaii - panoramio (61), Michelle Maria, CC BY 3.0
- 20121130 Honolulu-RiverSt DelonixRegia-RoyalPoinciana Cutler P1370589, wlcutler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 20121130 Honolulu-RiverSt DelonixRegia-RoyalPoinciana Cutler P1370585, wlcutler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 20121130 Honolulu-RiverSt DelonixRegia-RoyalPoinciana Cutler P1370588, wlcutler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Hamura Saimin (4170317435), Bryce Edwards from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
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