Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
23m
Distance
14.3 mi
23 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kalaoa, HI
Alexey Demidov
Honalo, HI
Viktoria Panova
Kalaoa to Honalo is 14.3 miles and takes about 23 minutes via Kuakini Highway, Palani Road, and Mamalahoa Highway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays entirely within the Hawaii region, traversing mostly surface roads. It's a straightforward drive that connects two points on the western side of the Big Island. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick transfer or as part of a larger exploration of the area.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kuakini Highway | 5 mi | 7m |
| Palani Road | 3 mi | 4m |
| Mamalahoa Highway | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| Henry Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Mahilani Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Honalo Road | 0.2 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Kalaoa, HI and Honalo, HI.
Start on Mahilani Drive
At end of road, turn right onto 190
Turn straight onto 190
Turn left onto Henry Street
Turn left onto 11
Continue on HI-11
Turn left onto East Honalo Road
Turn right onto Mamalahoa Highway
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 14.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
At end of road, turn right onto 190 / Mamalahoa Highway
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto Henry Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto 11 / Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto East Honalo Road
Navigation decision point
Turn right onto Mamalahoa Highway
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$2.80 one way
$5.59 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.28 | $2.97 | $5.94 |
| premium | $5.46 | $3.07 | $6.14 |
| diesel | $4.80 | $2.70 | $5.40 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.50 | $0.69 |
| Efficient EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.25 | $0.57 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.7 | 0 | $2.00 | $0.92 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Kalaoa on Saturday
Local time
4:56 PM
HST
Current temp
80°F
Isolated Rain Showers
Destination
Afternoon in Honalo on Saturday
Local time
4:56 PM
HST
Current temp
80°F
Scattered Rain Showers
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
You'll spend the entire 14.3 miles on surface roads, with no highway driving involved. The longest continuous stretch without a turn is 5 miles on Kuakini Highway. Expect a consistent pace as you navigate local thoroughfares, rather than high-speed highway cruising. Traffic will likely be light to moderate, typical of island surface roads.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near 190 / Mamalahoa Highway.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 23m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (190 / Mamalahoa Highway): Navigation decision point; at 5.9 miles (Henry Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles (11 / Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway): Lane positioning matters here.
Gently rolling terrain
Total Climb
1,280 ft
Total Descent
1,446 ft
Highest Point
1,643 ft
~1 mi in
Elevation Range
1,425 ft
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Cafe
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Cafe
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteCafe
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Kailua Kona, HI
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteCafe
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Kailua Kona, HI
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Hours: Mo-Su 07:00-13:00
Visit websiteCafe
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Kailua-Kona, HI
Hours: Mo-Sa 06:30-20:00; Su 06:30-18:00
Visit websiteCafe
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Fast_food
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Kailua-Kona, HI
Cuisine: burger
Hours: Mo-Su 09:00-23:00
Visit websiteRestaurant
Near the end, right off the route
Kealakekua
Cuisine: japanese
Hours: 07:00-15:00, 17:00-21:00
Visit websiteRestaurant
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Cuisine: asian;barbecue;breakfast;burger;chinese;coffee_shop;fish;friture;local;seafood
Hours: Tu-Su 07:00-14:00
Visit websiteRestaurant
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Kailua-Kona, HI
Visit websiteRestaurant
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Kailua-Kona, HI
Cuisine: poke
Hours: We-Mo 11:00-15:00
Visit websiteFast_food
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Cuisine: burger
Visit websiteAttraction
Early in the drive, right off the route
Attraction
Near the end, right off the route
Viewpoint
Later in the drive, right off the route
Park
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Attraction
Around the midpoint, short detour
Attraction
Near the end, short detour
HI
Hours: We 09:00-14:00
Museum
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Memorial
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Museum
Later in the drive, short detour
Hours: 10:00-17:00
Memorial
Near the end, short detour
Artwork
Near the end, short detour
Archaeological_site
Early in the drive, short detour
Hotel
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Kailua-Kona, HI
Visit websiteHotel
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Kailua-Kona, HI
Visit websiteHotel
Around the midpoint, short detour
Kailua-Kona, HI
Visit websiteHotel
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Kailua-Kona, HI
Hotel
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Guest_house
Later in the drive, right off the route
Points of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 23m. Total distance: 14.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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