Origin
Waialua, HI
Afternoon in Waialua on Saturday
Local time
3:21 PM
HST
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waialua, HI to Honolulu, HI
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
51m
Distance
29.7 mi
48 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 47m
★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 0m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 54m
3 PM
0h 55m
5 PM
1h 0m
8 PM
0h 49m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waialua, HI
Mike Norris
Honolulu, HI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Waialua to Honolulu covers 29.7 miles and typically takes about 51 minutes behind the wheel. Because this is a relatively short trip, it is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, meaning you won't need to worry about overnight logistics. You should budget approximately $6 for fuel to complete the journey comfortably. The route utilizes a combination of Kaukonahua Road, I H2, and HI 78 to navigate the distance. Whether you are heading into the city for business or leisure, this straightforward path provides an efficient connection between these two points in Hawaii.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I H2 | 8.4 mi | 11m |
| HI 78 | 5.1 mi | 7m |
| Kaukonahua Road | 4 mi | 8m |
| Wilikina Drive | 3.6 mi | 6m |
| Queen Liliʻuokalani Freeway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Kamehameha Highway | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Farrington Highway | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| I H1 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I H2
— 8.4 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waialua, HI and Honolulu, HI.
1
Start on this road
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
3
Turn right onto Puuiki Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Puuiki Street
4
At end of road, turn left onto HI 930
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
Farrington Highway
5
Enter roundabout onto HI 930
36 ft
·
1 sec
·
Farrington Highway
6
Continue on HI 930
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Farrington Highway
7
Continue on Kaukonahua Road
4.0 mi
·
8 min
·
Kaukonahua Road
8
Continue on HI 803
3.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Wilikina Drive
9
Turn straight onto I H2
8.4 mi
·
11 min
·
I H2
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto I H1
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Queen Liliʻuokalani Freeway
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 10
Toward Waimalu, Pearlridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Toward Waimalu, Pearlridge
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
13
Turn straight onto Moanalua Road
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Moanalua Road
14
Turn right onto Kaahumanu Street
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
Kaahumanu Street
15
Turn left onto HI 99
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Kamehameha Highway
Use the left / straight lanes.
16
Take the ramp onto HI 78
5.1 mi
·
7 min
·
HI 78
Toward I H201 East, I H1 East: Honolulu
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Merge onto I H1
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
I H1
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 20B
Toward HI 98 East: Vineyard Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
19
Continue on HI 98
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
Olomea Street
20
Continue on HI 98
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Vineyard Boulevard
21
Turn right onto Pali Highway
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
Pali Highway
22
Continue on HI 61
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Bishop Street
23
Turn left onto South King Street
0.3 mi
·
59 sec
·
South King Street
24
Turn left onto Likelike Street
308 ft
·
27 sec
·
Likelike Street
25
Turn left
298 ft
·
22 sec
26
Turn right
131 ft
·
9 sec
27
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 185 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 27.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
8
19.3 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward Waimalu, Pearlridge
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 10
Toward Waimalu, Pearlridge
9
19.6 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Waimalu, Pearlridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Waimalu, Pearlridge
6
21.6 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
HI 78
Take the ramp onto HI 78 toward I H201 East, I H1 East: Honolulu
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I H201 East, I H1 East: Honolulu
7
27.7 mi into trip
|
~46m in
Take the exit toward HI 98 East: Vineyard Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 20B
Toward HI 98 East: Vineyard Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.44 one way
$12.87 round trip
$5.51/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.79 | $6.77 | $13.54 |
| premium | $5.98 | $6.99 | $13.98 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.56 | $13.11 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.12 | $1.43 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.60 | $1.19 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.16 | $1.90 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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.
Destination
Honolulu, HI
Afternoon in Honolulu on Saturday
Local time
3:21 PM
HST
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
15 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
51m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
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 requires your full attention as you transition between different road types. Highway travel accounts for 22 percent of your journey, with your longest uninterrupted stretch occurring during an 8.4-mile stint on I H2. The personality of the road shifts as you leave the local roads of Waialua and merge onto faster interstate segments. You will encounter a mix of technical turns and standard highway driving, making for a dynamic experience that keeps you engaged. Prepare for a varied pace as you navigate the transition from rural roads to the more structured interstate flow.
Only 22% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.4 mi on I H2.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 18 decision points packed into just 29.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 51m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 19.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
949 ft
3 ft
Total Climb
1,092 ft
Total Descent
1,091 ft
Highest Point
949 ft
~6.4 mi in
Elevation Range
945 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Waialua, HI and Honolulu, HI, road signs point toward Waimalu, Pearlridge, I H201 East and I H1 East: Honolulu.
Waimalu
19.3 mi in
|
~33m
Pearlridge
19.3 mi in
|
~33m
I H201 East
21.6 mi in
|
~37m
|
via HI 78
I H1 East: Honolulu
21.6 mi in
|
~37m
|
via HI 78
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 51m. Total distance: 29.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
51m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.4 miles on I H2. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Honolulu, HI before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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: at 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 19.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Pearl Harbor National Memorial. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Honolulu, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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