HIHawaii Map

Hawaii on the US map

Hawaii sits in the West region of the United States — specifically the non contiguous subregion as defined by the US Census Bureau. With an area ranking of #43 of 50, Hawaii is one of the smallest US states by total area. The map above highlights Hawaii in gold and color-codes the 49 other states by region.

Whether you're a student studying US geography, a traveler planning a road trip, a teacher building a lesson plan, or simply curious, the goal of this page is to give you a complete picture of where Hawaii is and what surrounds it. Click any other state on the map above to navigate to its dedicated page.

Capital and largest city

The capital of Hawaii is Honolulu — which is also the largest city in the state. About 17 of the 50 US state capitals also hold the title of largest city; Hawaii is one of them.

The historical reason for these mismatches dates to the late 18th and 19th centuries. When state founders chose capitals, they often deliberately picked smaller, more centrally located towns to avoid concentrating political and commercial power in the same place. They worried that a capital in a major port or commercial city would be too vulnerable to mob influence (a real concern at the time) and would skew political decisions toward commercial interests.

Borders and neighbors

Hawaii shares no land border with any other US state — it is one of only two non-contiguous US states (the other being Alaska). To travel from Hawaii to the lower 48 by land, one must cross an international border.

Geographic features at a glance

• Total area rank: #43 of 50
• Population: 1 to 5 million
• Coastline: pacific
• Mountain ranges: no major mountain ranges
• Time zone: hawaii
• Region: West — non contiguous subregion

Major highways and transportation

Hawaii is connected to the rest of the country by the federal Interstate Highway System (planned by President Eisenhower in the 1950s). Major airports serve Honolulu, with regional connections to the rest of the state. Amtrak rail service connects parts of Hawaii to the national passenger rail network, though geographic isolation and population density vary.

Hawaii notable firsts

• Last state admitted to the Union (August 21, 1959)

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