Lihue, Kauai County, Hawaii
Lihue is an unincorporated community settled on the southeastern shores of Kauai Island, Hawaii. Lihue is close to the Kauai's main airport and chief port on Nawiliwili Harbor. It is a commercial, distribution, and tourist center. The Lihue Sugarcane Plantation was established by the Germans in 1849. On top of that, The Kauai Museum and community college are located in Lihue as well! For a community population of 5,674 that is quite a few attractions indeed.
This town may not have a rich history to boast of, but that is no reason not to fall in love with this enchanting rustic place. Things may seem simple at first glance. However, there's more to it than meets the eye.
Behind the great island of Kauaʻi, lies the commercial haven and urban town of Lihue. The name Lihue was taken from the cool winds of the town thus the name literally means, "cold chill." It is the second biggest town of Kaua'i which houses some of the famous names in commercial centers, such as Macy, Home Depot, and K-Mart. Lihue may not be a tourist capital of Hawaii, but it has the largest commercial industry in the bountiful island of Kauaʻi.
Even though Lihue is a rural town with its abandoned plantations and open field roads, it contains the best hotels, shopping centers, and historic museums. It's a town full of paradoxes since its roads show no sign of development. Yet most of the commercial establishments can be found in the area. Sadly, Lihue doesn't have a long historic background to boast of as compared with other towns. It only came to being during the mid-1900's. Before, Lihue was a simple town that worked in the Grove Farm sugar plantation. Just like most towns in Kaua'i, sugar plantation was one of the major sources of living in Lihue.
In spite of the rustic way of life for the five thousand population of Lihue, it is still the primary port of Kaua'i island. Tourists can come to this growing town via the renowned Līhuʻe Airport or in Nawiliwili Harbor. Aside from the commercial centers and business establishments in the town. Lihue may be prejudged as a rural town, but you'll find out for yourself that Lihue is a blooming town right at the center of Kaua'i once you visit it.
Lihue's History
Unlike other major towns in Kaua'i, Lihue doesn't have any history to tell. But according to some records, in ancient times, Lihue was a little village. In fact, it's original name was Ka-laÊ»-i-a-mea, which means a red brownish calm place. But today, the name Ka-laÊ»-i-a-mea was transformed to Lihue, signifying the cool breeze of the town. Back in the Sugar Plantation mill days, Lihue played a major role as a capital city of sugar plantation; most of the people worked in the sugar mill plantations.
Lihue, a town located near the district of Puna, was the former home of Germans. In the 1800's a group of German people migrated in the rural town where they established the Lutheran church in 1881. On the other hand, some records state that Lihue was just a village which existed only in mid-1900's. In fact, the whole people of the town was working for the Grove Farm sugar plantation at that time. The reason they worked for another town's sugar plantation is because their own sugar plantation had closed down. As of 2000, Lihue's plantation, Amfac/JMB stopped growing cane for a while as they burn the canes for electricity. The Grove Farm sugar plantation is now converted to commercial and residential spaces.
Even if Lihue has no definite and clear history, they have a bright and certain future ahead of them. This they can achieve as long as they continue growing and expanding their economy via commercial and urban centers.
Lihue's Attractions
Kaua'i's second largest town, Lihue is situated at 21°58'29" North and 159°21'56" West. It's one of the most visited places in Kaua'i because of its bountiful and modern commercial establishments such as K-Mart, Home Depot, and Kaua'i's biggest shopping mall, Macy. But aside from the modern business shops and centers that Lihue boasts of, you can explore other sites and attractions in the town. For one, you can go the beautiful beaches of the south and east Kaua'i island. Lihue is strategically located near these beaches so any time you want to take a dip, you can go to the beach without any hassles.
If you're a golf fan and you need to practice those swings, you can visit any of Lihue's three golf courses. But if you're interested in the town's background, you can visit their museums and the Grove Farm Homestead. Grove Farm Homestead is an eighty-acre estate that exhibits luscious and vibrant gardens of flowers. It also holds Lihue's original family mansion and the worker's area before. As many people don't know, this place was the oldest sugar plantation in Lihue.
There are several other hotspots that you can visit in this town. One of the famous sites in Lihue is Kilohana Plantation where you can find art galleries and best shops. It's a thirty-acre land full of shops and gardens. On the other hand, you can check out Huleia National Wildlife Refuge if you're an animal lover. Meanwhile the water-lovers can visit the Wailua Falls, Kalapaki, and Ninini Beach.
Lihue may be rural and rustic, but it's definitely not boring with its cool tourist spots that can take your breath away with its beauty.
Lihue's Economy
Lihue may be described as a rural place with open field roads, but it’s not backward when it comes to economy. In fact, Lihue, the second biggest town of Kauai, is the premiere commercial capital of the island of Kauai. The towering and numerous shopping centers and business establishments within the area are the living proofs to that. Lihue is also the home of Macy, the largest shopping mall in Kauai. Most of the income and jobs of the Lihue people comes from their business establishments.
Looking back during the mid-1900’s, the economy of the Lihue people was centered on their sugar plantation mills specifically the Grove Farm sugar plantation. Like any other towns and islands in Hawaii, the people were dependent on their sugar plantations in order to live. At this moment, Lihue was not opened yet for tourism and business. Later on, Grove Farm sugar plantation was converted to real estates when it was owned by Steve Case, chief executive of America Online. Another milestone in the economy of Lihue is when Amfac/JMB, a sugar plantation, closed down in November 2000.
Aside from the shopping center titans in Lihue, sea ports and airports are other sources of its income. The two main ports in Kauai are Nawiliwili Harbor and the Lihue airport, which are all located in Lihue town. Before, Port Allen was the number one port in Kauai. But eventually, with the completion of Nawiliwili Harbor in 1930, Nawiliwili became the number one port in Kauai. Today, Lihue stands proudly amidst economic struggles as it becomes the number one commercial capital in Kauai.
Lihue Statistics:
Population: 5,674Households: 2,178
Median resident age: 44.0 years
Median household income: $44,906
Median house value: $261,400
Land area: 6.3 square miles
Elevation: 206 feet
Latitude: 21°58'N
Longitude: 159°21'W
Zip code: 96766
County: Kauai
