Why visit Wailuku
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 19 parks and trails, 31 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 6 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Iao Theatre, Iao Theater, Hale Ho'ike'ike at the Bailey House Museum (Maui Historical Society) and Halekiʻi-Pihana Heiau State Monument.
September is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 64°F.
Weather in Wailuku
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Wailuku
Wailuku is a census-designated place (CDP) in and county seat of Maui Island, Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 17,697 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Wailuku, Hawaii (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do6
Iao Theatre
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places
Theater and former movie theater in Wailuku, Hawaii, United States
Museums and landmarks14
Hale Ho'ike'ike at the Bailey House Museum (Maui Historical Society)
Museum
2375A West Main Street, Wailuku
Mo-Fr 10:00-14:00
Halekiʻi-Pihana Heiau State Monument
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Historic temple site in Hawaiʻi, USA
Henry Perrine Baldwin High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Wailuku, Hawaii
1650 Kaahumanu Ave, Wailuku
Bailey House Museum
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building in Wailuku, United States of America
Chee Kung Tong Society Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Building in Wailuku, United States of America
Maui Nui Botanical Gardens
Monument and historic site · 1.2 mi
Botanical garden
150 Kanaloa Avenue
Tu-Sa 08:00-16:00
Puunene School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
School building in Hawaii, United States of America
Wailuku Civic Center Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic district in Hawaii, United States
Wailuku School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
School building in Hawaii, United States of America
Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum
Museum · 3.4 mi
Located in the small sugarcane growing and milling community of Puʻunene, Hawaii, Kahului, Maui
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds19
Kanaha Pond State Wildlife Sanctuary
Park · 3.0 mi
Protected area in Hawaii, United States
7 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes31
Sam Sato's
Restaurant · Japanese · 0.6 mi
1750 Wili Pa Loop
Mo-Sa 07:00-14:00
Ba Le sandwich shop
Restaurant · Vietnamese · 0.4 mi
1824 Oihana Street
Mo-Sa 09:00-20:30
A Saigon Cafe
Restaurant · 0.4 mi
1792 East Main Street
Th-Tu 11:00-22:00; We 11:00-21:00
Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice
Ice cream · 0.8 mi
50 Maui Lani Parkway, Wailuku
Mo-Su 10:30-18:00
19 more on the map.
History
Home to some of Maui's Hawaiian rulers, site of Kamehameha's 1790 victory at the Battle of Kepaniwai in the ʻĪao Valley, location of the 19th century Mission Station and birthplace of the sugar industry, Wailuku illustrates the influences that shaped the town, island, and state.
The area was a center of power and population in prehistoric Hawaii. In the mid-1800s it was irrevocably changed when New England missionaries brought their religious beliefs, skills, implements, and agricultural methods. By the 1860s the Wailuku Sugar Company (owned by C. Brewer & Co.) and other plantations were busy growing and milling sugarcane. Miles of ditches were dug, bringing irrigation water from deep in the mountains to central Maui's vast fields, and the sugar industry flourished, to the detriment of the native people.
Thousands of skilled and unskilled workers immigrated to Maui to toil in the fields and factories. They came from China, Japan, Okinawa, Korea, the Philippines, Europe, and America – bringing ethnic, cultural and religious diversity to their new home. Many settled in Wailuku, where houses, schools, churches, temples, shops, banks and community buildings were built to meet the thriving company town's needs.
From the History section of Wailuku, Hawaii on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay5
Churches and places of worship16
Kaahumanu Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Waihee Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Place of worship · Jehovahs Witness · 1.4 mi
800 Onehee Avenue, Kahului
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Place of worship · Jehovahs Witness · 2.2 mi
466 Laau Street, Kahului
Shopping9
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries23
Healthcare3
Map of Wailuku
130 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°F | 64°F | 2.4 in |
| Feb | 82°F | 64°F | 2.0 in |
| Mar | 83°F | 65°F | 2.6 in |
| Apr | 84°F | 67°F | 1.3 in |
| May | 86°F | 68°F | 0.7 in |
| Jun | 88°F | 70°F | 0.2 in |
| Jul | 89°F | 72°F | 0.5 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 72°F | 0.5 in |
| Sep | 90°F | 71°F | 0.5 in |
| Oct | 89°F | 70°F | 0.8 in |
| Nov | 86°F | 68°F | 1.8 in |
| Dec | 83°F | 66°F | 2.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Kahului Ap 91190 (5 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
Kahului Airport (OGG) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Waihee-Waiehu 3 mi north, about 4 min by car
- Kahului 3 mi southeast, about 5 min by car
- Waikapu 4 mi southwest, about 6 min by car
- Kihei 9 mi southeast, about 15 min by car
- Paia 9 mi east, about 14 min by car
- Launiupoko 9 mi west, about 14 min by car
- Lahaina 10 mi west, about 17 min by car
- Pukalani 11 mi east, about 18 min by car
- Napili-Honokowai 12 mi northwest, about 19 min by car
- Makawao 12 mi east, about 20 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
- WailukuTownShot, 293.xx.xxx.xx, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Good Shepherd Episcopal Wailuku PA02, Paora, CC0
- Good Shepherd Episcopal Wailuku PA03, Paora, CC0
- Good Shepherd Episcopal Wailuku PA04, Paora, CC0
- Good Shepherd Episcopal Wailuku PA06, Paora, CC0
- Good Shepherd Episcopal Wailuku PA01, Paora, CC0
- Good Shepherd Episcopal Wailuku PA05, Paora, CC0
- 2 UHI survey marker Wailuku Maui HI, 293.xx.xxx.xx, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Haleki'i-Pihana Heiau State Monument, 293.xx.xxx.xx, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Maui-Baldwin-HS-frontlawn, Joel Bradshaw, Public domain
- Kaahumanu Church Grounds, 293.xx.xxx.xx, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Maui-Waihee-Protestant-Church-end, Joel Bradshaw, Public domain
- IaoTheaterFront2010, 293.xx.xxx.xx, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Chee Kung Tong Society Building 1981, Nathan Napoka, Public domain
- Wailuku Civic Center Historic District, 293.xx.xxx.xx, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Maui-WailukuSchool-oblique, Joel Bradshaw, Public domain
- Maui-Puunene-school-entrance, Joel Bradshaw, Public domain
- Bailey House Maui, Oscar O Oscar, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Maui-Puunene-Sugar-Museum, Joel Bradshaw, Public domain
- Kanaha Pond, derivative work: 293.xx.xxx.xx ( talk ) AirViewKahului.jpg : ideatrendz, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Maui Mayor Michael Victorino & Kalani Pe'a May 2019, Allanbcool, CC BY-SA 4.0
- US Coastal and Geodetic Survey Marker 331, 293.xx.xxx.xx, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ka'ahumanu Church Behind Tree, Rodrigues808, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kaahumanu Church, SeaHorsePunch, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ka'ahumanu Church entrance black and white, Rodrigues808, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ka'ahumanu Church sunset, Rodrigues808, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Side view of Ka'ahumanu Church, Rodrigues808, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ka'ahumanu Church looking up, Rodrigues808, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kaahumanu-Frontview-1, 07shanthuna, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kaahumanu-Sideview-1, 07shanthuna, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maui Academy of Performing Arts, LittleT889, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bailey House Museum 1, SeaHorsePunch, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Chee Kung TongSociety Building, SeaHorsePunch, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Chee Kung Tong Society Building, SeaHorsePunch, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CheeKung TongSocietyBuilding, SeaHorsePunch, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bailey House Museum 5, SeaHorsePunch, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bailey House Museum 4, SeaHorsePunch, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bailey House Museum 9, SeaHorsePunch, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bailey House Museum 7, SeaHorsePunch, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bailey House Museum 6, SeaHorsePunch, CC BY-SA 3.0
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