Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 25, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
20.4 mi
33 km
Drive Score
5/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
6 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kapa‘a, HI
William Chen
Princeville, HI
Avinash Kumar
Kapa‘a to Princeville is 20.4 miles and takes about 34 minutes via Kuhio Highway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Hawaii region, offering a straightforward trip between two points. The route primarily utilizes surface roads, making it a relaxed and easily manageable excursion. With only a few minutes of driving time and a low fuel cost, this trip is ideal for a spontaneous outing or a quick transfer between locations on Kauai.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kuhio Highway | 19.7 mi | 31m |
| Emmalani Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Kahaku Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Kauwila Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Kapa‘a, HI and Princeville, HI.
Start on Kauwila Street
Turn left onto HI 56
Enter roundabout onto HI 56
Continue on HI 56
At end of road, turn left
At end of road, turn right onto HI 56
Turn slight right onto Kahaku Road
Turn left onto Emmalani Drive
Continue on Emmalani Drive
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 19.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto HI 56 / Kuhio Highway
Navigation decision point
Enter roundabout onto HI 56 / Kuhio Highway
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
At end of road, turn left
Navigation decision point
At end of road, turn right onto HI 56 / Kuhio Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto Emmalani Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$4.58 one way
$9.16 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.03 | $4.84 | $9.69 |
| premium | $6.22 | $4.99 | $9.99 |
| diesel | $6.28 | $5.04 | $10.08 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.14 | $0.98 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.79 | $0.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.86 | $1.31 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Late night in Kapa‘a on Sunday
Local time
2:54 AM
HST
Current temp
73°F
Scattered Rain Showers
Destination
Late night in Princeville on Sunday
Local time
2:54 AM
HST
Current temp
74°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
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
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.
This route involves 20.4 miles of driving, with almost the entire stretch on surface roads, as indicated by the 0% highway share. You'll experience 19.7 miles on Kuhio Highway, which is the longest continuous section. Expect a consistent surface road experience for the vast majority of your travel, without the complexities of highway merging or dense exit ramps.
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.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 34m 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.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
561 ft
Total Descent
328 ft
Highest Point
381 ft
~10.2 mi in
Elevation Range
372 ft
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 34m. Total distance: 20.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m 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.
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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