Maui County, Hawaii

Maui County is a county in Hawaii, United States, spanning the islands of Maui, Molokai (all but its Kalaupapa peninsula), Lanai and the uninhabited Kahoolawe and Molokini. It had a population of 164,754 at the 2020 census, an estimated 160,592 by 2025, and covers 1,162 square miles (3,010 km2) of land centred near 20°52′N 156°37′W.

Wailuku is the county seat, though neighboring Kahului is the county’s largest and busiest place. Wailuku’s postal code is 96793. The county holds 29 census-designated places across four islands and it runs on Hawaii–Aleutian Standard Time, year-round (Hawaii does not observe daylight saving). Its FIPS code is 15009.

Towns & Villages in Maui County

Hawaii has no incorporated cities or towns anywhere in the state — every place below is a census-designated place (CDP), an unincorporated area the Census Bureau maps for statistical purposes only. Wailuku carries the county seat. The table groups all 29 CDPs by island; a short list of named but unmapped settlements follows.

Beyond those 29 mapped CDPs, the county carries dozens of named rural settlements with no Census Bureau boundary and no standalone population count — among them Kahakuloa, Keanae, Nahiku, Kaupo and Huelo on Maui’s remote north and east shores, and Hoolehua on Molokai. These are real places on road signs and mail routes, just not separately tabulated by the census; they are omitted from the table rather than assigned a guessed figure. Two pairs are easy to confuse: Wailea and Makena sit back to back on Maui’s south shore resort strip and are often used interchangeably in casual references, but they are distinct CDPs with separate boundaries. Kapalua and Kaanapali are likewise adjacent West Maui resort CDPs, not the same place.

ZIP Codes

• 96732 — Kahului
• 96753 — Kihei (also serves Wailea and Makena)
• 96793 — Wailuku (also serves Waihee-Waiehu, Waikapu and Maalaea)
• 96761 — Lahaina (also serves Kaanapali, Napili-Honokowai, Mahinahina, Launiupoko, Kapalua and Olowalu)
• 96767 — South Lahaina / Kaanapali overflow
• 96708 — Haiku
• 96768 — Pukalani (also serves Makawao and Haliimaile)
• 96790 — Kula (also serves Keokea)
• 96779 — Paia
• 96713 — Hana
• 96748 — Kaunakakai (also serves Ualapue)
• 96757 — Kualapuu
• 96770 — Maunaloa
• 96763 — Lanai City (also serves Manele)

Unmapped rural settlements such as Kahakuloa, Keanae, Nahiku and Kaupo have no ZIP code of their own; mail to them routes through the nearest post office on the same coastal highway.

Geography

Maui County has no land border with any other county — every neighboring county is across open ocean. Kalawao County, the smallest in the United States, sits entirely within Molokai’s Kalaupapa peninsula, an enclave physically inside Maui County’s island of Molokai but administered separately. Honolulu County (Oahu) lies roughly 25 miles northwest across the Kaiwi and Pailolo channels; Hawaii County (the Big Island) lies about 30 miles southeast across the Alenuihaha Channel, one of the roughest crossings in the state.

The island of Maui itself is two volcanic masses joined by a low, flat isthmus — the source of its “Valley Isle” nickname — with Haleakala’s 10,023-foot summit dominating the east side and the older West Maui Mountains rising to 5,788 feet at Puu Kukui. Molokai is drier and more rural, with sea cliffs on its north shore among the tallest in the world. Lanai, once a pineapple plantation island, is largely dry scrubland around a single town. Kahoolawe, uninhabited and a former Navy bombing range, is managed today for cultural and ecological restoration.

Demographics

The county’s population was 164,754 at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate of 160,592 — a decline driven largely by displacement after the 2023 Lahaina fire. Kahului is the largest community at 28,219 residents, followed by Kihei at 21,423; the county seat, Wailuku, ranks third at 17,697. Median household income was $97,161, below Hawaii’s statewide median of $100,389. Filipino (28.4%), Native Hawaiian (24%), Japanese (12.9%), German (11%) and English (10.8%) are the most common ancestries reported. Population density across the county’s 1,162 square miles of land works out to roughly 142 people per square mile, though nearly all residents live on Maui itself.

Economy & Local Life

Tourism and hospitality anchor the county’s economy: accommodation and food services employ about 15,311 workers, retail trade about 9,057, and health care and social assistance about 8,154. The Hawaii state government is the largest single employer with roughly 5,030 workers countywide, followed by Maui County government at about 2,436. Major resort clusters at Kaanapali, Kapalua and Wailea drive much of the hospitality total. Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku is the county’s principal hospital. Agriculture, once dominated by sugar and pineapple, has shrunk sharply but persists in Kula’s upcountry farms and Molokai’s smaller operations. The annual Maui County Fair, held in Kahului each September, is the county’s largest community event.

History

Maui County was organized in 1905, carved out as Hawaii’s territorial government reorganized county lines across the islands; Kalawao, covering the Kalaupapa leprosy settlement on Molokai, was set up as a separate jurisdiction the same year and remains so. The county and its largest island take their name from Maui, a demigod of Hawaiian tradition credited with pulling the islands up from the sea and slowing the sun’s path across the sky.

The most significant recent event is the wildfire that struck Lahaina on August 8–9, 2023. Driven by high winds from a passing hurricane, the fire destroyed roughly 80% of the town and killed 102 people, the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century. It leveled the Baldwin House, the Wo Hing Museum, Lahaina Public Library and King Kamehameha III Elementary School, and killed the town’s 150-year-old banyan tree, though the tree has since resprouted. Maui County released a rebuilding plan in 2024 covering the commercial district, infrastructure and affordable housing, with a projected completion timeline of about six years; the elementary school relocated to a temporary campus at Pulelehua while the library remained closed pending reconstruction. This account does not extend past information verified through 2024–2025 sources; readers should check current county rebuilding updates for the latest status.

Getting There

No interstate highway reaches Maui County — Hawaii’s three interstate-numbered routes are all on Oahu. Maui’s own highways all carry route numbers beginning with 3, chiefly Honoapiilani Highway (Route 30) along the west coast, Piilani Highway (Route 31) through the south, and the winding Hana Highway (Route 36) to the east.

• Kahului — 3 miles east of Wailuku
• Kihei — 9 miles south of Wailuku
• Lahaina — 22 miles west of Wailuku
• Hana — about 52 miles east of Wailuku, roughly two hours by road on the Hana Highway’s hundreds of curves

Kahului Airport (OGG) is the county’s main commercial gateway, with direct mainland and inter-island service; Kapalua and Hana each have smaller airports on Maui, and Lanai and Molokai each have their own airport reached by short inter-island flight. There is no rail service anywhere in the county. A passenger ferry connects Lahaina Harbor to Manele Harbor on Lanai; Molokai’s former passenger ferry to Maui is no longer running, leaving air and barge as the main links.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Maui County?
Maui County is a county in Hawaii, United States, covering the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and Molokini in the central Hawaiian archipelago.

What is the population of Maui County?
164,754 at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate of 160,592.

How big is Maui County?
1,162 square miles (3,010 km2) of land, plus extensive surrounding ocean within its jurisdiction.

What is the county seat of Maui County?
Wailuku is the county seat; Kahului, just east of it, is the county’s largest and busiest community.

How many towns and villages are in Maui County?
29 census-designated places across Maui, Molokai and Lanai, plus a number of smaller unmapped rural settlements.

What ZIP codes serve Maui County?
Fourteen main ZIP codes, from 96732 (Kahului) and 96793 (Wailuku) to 96763 (Lanai City) and 96748 (Kaunakakai); see the ZIP Codes section above for the full list.

What happened to Lahaina in 2023?
A wind-driven wildfire on August 8–9, 2023 destroyed about 80% of the town and killed 102 people. Rebuilding began under a county plan released in 2024, with a projected six-year timeline.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Hawaii.