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Trip from Kapa‘a, HI to Kīlauea, HI

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

24m

Distance

15.4 mi

25 km

Drive Score

5/10

Practical drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Fair

4 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 23m ★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 24m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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Downtown Kapa‘a, HI, HI

Kapa‘a, HI

William Chen

Downtown Kīlauea, HI, HI

Kīlauea, HI

Mike Norris

Trip Overview

If you are planning to travel from Kapa‘a to Kīlauea, you are looking at a quick 15.4-mile journey that typically takes about 24 minutes. This route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, as the distance is short enough that you won't need to worry about an overnight stay. You should budget approximately $3 for fuel to cover this stretch within the Hawaii region. Because the drive is straightforward and brief, it offers a great deal of flexibility for your schedule. Navigating between these two points involves transitioning through local roads, making it a simple commute rather than a major expedition.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Kuhio Highway 15.3 mi 24m
Keneke Street 0.1 mi <1m
Kauwila Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Kuhio Highway — 15.3 mi, about 24m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Kapa‘a, HI and Kīlauea, HI.

1

Start on Kauwila Street

94 ft · 9 sec · Kauwila Street
2

Turn left onto HI 56

1.5 mi · 2 min · Kuhio Highway
3

Enter roundabout onto HI 56

93 ft · 1 sec · Kuhio Highway
4

Continue on HI 56

13 mi · 21 min · Kuhio Highway
5

At end of road, turn left

89 ft · 2 sec
6

At end of road, turn right onto HI 56

0.3 mi · 45 sec · Kuhio Highway
7

Turn right onto Keneke Street

0.1 mi · 26 sec · Keneke Street
8

Arrive at destination

Keneke Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 5

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 15.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

3
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | HI 56 / Kuhio Highway

Turn left onto HI 56 / Kuhio Highway

Navigation decision point

5
1.5 mi into trip | ~2m in | HI 56 / Kuhio Highway

Enter roundabout onto HI 56 / Kuhio Highway

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

4
15 mi into trip | ~23m in

At end of road, turn left

Navigation decision point

5
15 mi into trip | ~23m in | HI 56 / Kuhio Highway

At end of road, turn right onto HI 56 / Kuhio Highway

Navigation decision point

4
15.3 mi into trip | ~24m in | Keneke Street

Turn right onto Keneke Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.23 one way

$6.47 round trip

$5.33/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.61 $3.40 $6.80
premium $5.80 $3.52 $7.04
diesel $5.60 $3.39 $6.79

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.6 0 $1.62 $0.74
Efficient EV 3.9 0 $1.35 $0.62
EV Truck/SUV 6.2 0 $2.16 $0.99

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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Aug 15, 2026

Origin

Kapa‘a, HI

Night in Kapa‘a on Thursday

Local time

10:14 PM

HST

Current temp

86°F

Scattered Rain Showers

NE 30 mph 45% chance Live forecast

Hurricane Warning

Hurricane Warning issued August 15 at 11:15AM HST by NWS Honolulu HI

Tropical Storm Warning

Tropical Storm Warning issued August 15 at 11:15AM HST by NWS Honolulu HI

Destination

Kīlauea, HI

Night in Kīlauea on Thursday

Local time

10:14 PM

HST

Current temp

84°F

Scattered Rain Showers

E 14 mph 47% chance Live forecast

Hurricane Warning

Hurricane Warning issued August 15 at 11:15AM HST by NWS Honolulu HI

Tropical Storm Warning

Tropical Storm Warning issued August 15 at 11:15AM HST by NWS Honolulu HI

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

2 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

24m on the road

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.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel rather than a monotonous highway experience. While you will spend 15.3 miles on the Kuhio Highway, the route maintains a 0% highway share, meaning you are primarily navigating local infrastructure like Keneke Street and Kauwila Street. This layout creates a more technical driving environment compared to a wide-open interstate. You won't find long, uninterrupted stretches of high-speed cruising here, so be prepared for a steady pace. It is a practical drive that moves you efficiently through the local landscape.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.3 mi on Kuhio Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

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 early in the drive near HI 56 / Kuhio Highway.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 24m 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: near the start (HI 56 / Kuhio Highway): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (HI 56 / Kuhio Highway): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 15 miles: Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

425 ft 9 ft

Total Climb

630 ft

Total Descent

347 ft

Highest Point

425 ft

~9.9 mi in

Elevation Range

416 ft

About the Cities

Arriving in Kīlauea, HI

Full guide →

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 24m. Total distance: 15.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

24m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 15.3 miles on Kuhio Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (HI 56 / Kuhio Highway): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (HI 56 / Kuhio Highway): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 15 miles: Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Kīlauea, HI before heading back.

How this page is built

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, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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