(Redirected from Līhu\'e, Hawai\'i)
'Līhue' (
IPA: ) is the second largest town on the
Hawaiian Island of
Kauai in
Hawaii. ''Līhue'' means literally "cold chill" in
Hawaiian. It is a
census-designated place (CDP) and the
county seat of
Kauai County. As of the
2000 Census, the CDP had a total population of 5,674 .
Līhue is served by the
Līhue Airport. The main seaport for Kauai is at Nāwiliwili Bay, directly southeast of town.
The town is home to the county administration building; Kauai's largest shopping center, Kukui Grove Center, which houses the island's only big department store,
Macy's; and several big-box stores including
K-Mart,
Wal-Mart,
Home Depot and
Costco. There are also several car dealerships and restaurants. Most of the island's
traffic lights can be found here.
However, Līhue does not have a monopoly on island commerce. There is a cluster of several shopping centers to the north in
Kapaa.
History
In ancient times, Līhue was a minor village. The name is of recent origin and means "goose flesh", referring to the cold winds that blew across the land. The ancient name of the area was Ka-la-i-a-mea, meaning calm reddish brown place. Līhue is located in the ancient district of Puna. With the emergance of the sugar industry in the 1800s, Līhue became the central city of the island with the construction of a large sugar mill. Many Germans emigrated to Līhue, even building in
1881 the first Lutheran church in Hawaii that stands to this day. Services were delivered in German well into the
1960s. George Wilcox was one of the largest sugar plantation owners. The family home, Kilohana, can be visited by
tourists. Līhue also houses the Kauai Museum, which details the rich history of Kauai.
Geography and Climate
Līhue is located at (21.974810, -159.365576).

Location of Līhue, Hawaii
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 18.4
km² (7.1
mi²). 16.4 km² (6.3 mi²) of it is land and 2.0 km² (0.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 11.11% water.
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures |
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec High °F | 86 | 86 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 89 | 89 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 89 | 87 |
|---|
| Norm High °F | 77.9 | 77.9 | 78.1 | 78.8 | 80.6 | 82.7 | 83.9 | 84.9 | 85 | 83.5 | 81 | 79 |
|---|
| Norm Low °F | 65.4 | 65.5 | 67.3 | 68.9 | 70.3 | 72.7 | 74 | 74.5 | 74 | 72.8 | 70.8 | 67.6 |
|---|
| Rec Low °F | 50 | 52 | 51 | 56 | 58 | 61 | 62 | 66 | 65 | 61 | 57 | 52 |
|---|
| Precip (in) | 4.59 | 3.26 | 3.58 | 3 | 2.87 | 1.82 | 2.12 | 1.91 | 2.69 | 4.25 | 4.7 | 4.78 |
|---|
| ''Source: USTravelWeather.com [1]'' |
Demographics
As of the
census of
2000, there were 5,674 people, 2,178 households, and 1,420 families residing in the CDP. The
population density was 346.6/km² (898.3/mi²). There were 2,399 housing units at an average density of 146.6/km² (379.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 22.75%
White, 49.24%
Asian, 0.21%
Black or
African American, 0.23%
Native American, 6.43%
Pacific Islander, 0.67% from
other races, and 20.46% from two or more races. 6.52% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 2,178 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were
married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $44,906, and the median income for a family was $56,875 in 2000. Males had a median income of $38,713 versus $28,032 for females. The
per capita income for the CDP was $22,619. 4.6% of the population and 1.7% of families were below the
poverty line. Out of the total population, 1.4% of those under the age of 18 and 7.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Education
Līhue is home to Kauai Community College, part of the
University of Hawaii system.
Līhue is also served by the
Hawaii Department of Education. Two K-5 elementary schools — Wilcox Elementary School and Kaumualii Elementary School — serve the area. All of the area is zoned to Kamakahelei Middle School and
Kauai High School.
External links
★
City of Līhu'e