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Trip from Wailea, HI to Wailuku, HI

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 3, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

40m

Distance

17.4 mi

28 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 37m ★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 38m

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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census-designated place in Maui County, Hawaii, United States of America

Wailea, HI

Wikimedia Commons

census-designated place in Maui County, Hawaiʻi, United States

Wailuku, HI

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Traveling the 17.4 miles from Wailea to Wailuku is a straightforward transition across Maui that typically takes about 40 minutes. You will primarily navigate via the Piilani Highway, North Kihei Road, and the Honoapiilani Highway. Because this is a short journey, it is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stays. Budget approximately $4 for fuel to cover the distance comfortably. Whether you are heading toward the administrative heart of the island or returning to the resort areas, this route serves as a reliable connection between these two Hawaii locations.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Piilani Highway 6.7 mi 14m
Honoapiilani Highway 4.7 mi 9m
North Kihei Road 3.6 mi 7m
Wailea Alanui Drive 0.5 mi 1m
Okolani Drive 0.5 mi 1m
South High Street 0.5 mi 1m
South Market Street 0.4 mi 1m
Wells Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Piilani Highway — 6.7 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Wailea, HI and Wailuku, HI.

1

Start on this road

339 ft · 27 sec · this road
2

At end of road, turn right

416 ft · 32 sec
3

Continue

199 ft · 15 sec
4

At end of road, turn left onto Wailea Alanui Drive

0.5 mi · 1 min · Wailea Alanui Drive
5

Turn right onto Okolani Drive

0.5 mi · 1 min · Okolani Drive
6

Turn left onto HI 31

4.8 mi · 10 min · Piilani Highway
Use the straight / left lanes.
7

Enter roundabout onto HI 31

145 ft · 2 sec · Piilani Highway
8

Continue on HI 31

1.9 mi · 3 min · Piilani Highway
Use the straight lane.
9

Turn left onto North Kihei Road

3.6 mi · 7 min · North Kihei Road
10

Turn right onto HI-30

4.7 mi · 9 min · Honoapiilani Highway
11

Continue on HI-30

0.5 mi · 1 min · South High Street
12

Turn right onto HI 3830

0.2 mi · 39 sec · Wells Street
13

Turn left onto HI 3405

0.4 mi · 1 min · South Market Street
14

Turn left onto Kahawai Street

0.1 mi · 1 min · Kahawai Street
15

Turn right onto Makua Street

252 ft · 27 sec · Makua Street
16

Arrive at destination

Makua Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 16.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in

At end of road, turn right

Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch

6
0.1 mi into trip | ~1m in

Enter roundabout

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
1.2 mi into trip | ~4m in | HI 31 / Piilani Highway

Turn left onto HI 31 / Piilani Highway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.
4
6 mi into trip | ~14m in | HI 31 / Piilani Highway

Enter roundabout onto HI 31 / Piilani Highway

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

4
16.6 mi into trip | ~36m in | HI 3830 / Wells Street

Turn right onto HI 3830 / Wells Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.65 one way

$7.31 round trip

$5.33/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.61 $3.84 $7.68
premium $5.80 $3.97 $7.95
diesel $5.60 $3.84 $7.67

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.2 0 $1.83 $0.84
Efficient EV 4.4 0 $1.52 $0.70
EV Truck/SUV 7 0 $2.44 $1.11

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (67% 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 23, 2026

Origin

Wailea, HI

Evening in Wailea on Wednesday

Local time

5:27 PM

HST

Current temp

76°F

Mostly Clear

W 2 mph 12% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued August 22 at 3:41PM HST until August 23 at 6:00PM HST by NWS Honolulu HI

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued August 22 at 3:39PM HST until August 24 at 6:00PM HST by NWS Honolulu HI

Destination

Wailuku, HI

Evening in Wailuku on Wednesday

Local time

5:27 PM

HST

Current temp

76°F

Scattered Rain Showers

NE 14 to 18 mph 30% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued August 22 at 3:41PM HST until August 23 at 6:00PM HST by NWS Honolulu HI

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued August 22 at 3:39PM HST until August 24 at 6:00PM 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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

40m 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 rather than a high-speed interstate experience, as this route contains no traditional highway segments. You will encounter a mix of local road conditions that demand your full attention behind the wheel. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will navigate is a 6.7-mile segment along the Piilani Highway. Because the road character shifts frequently, you should be prepared for varying traffic patterns as you transition between these regional hubs. It is a functional drive that requires steady navigation through local corridors.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.7 mi on Piilani Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

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 around 0.1 miles in.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 40m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.1 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.2 miles (HI 31 / Piilani Highway): Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

407 ft 6 ft

Total Climb

660 ft

Total Descent

441 ft

Highest Point

407 ft

~14.9 mi in

Elevation Range

401 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Wailea, HI

Full guide →

Wailea, and the smaller Makena to the south, are resort areas on the south side of Maui, Hawaii, immediately south of the town of Kihei. They are known for their luxury resort hotels and condos, upscale restaurants, fancy shopping center and expensive golf courses. And although hidden behind the hotels and condos now, the beaches that attracted the developers in the first place are still there in all their golden sand beauty.

Arriving in Wailuku, HI

Full guide →

Top landmarks

  • • Iao Theatre — theater and former movie theater in Wailuku, Hawaii, United States
  • • Bailey House Museum — building in Wailuku, United States of America
  • • Chee Kung Tong Society Building — building in Wailuku, United States of America

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 40m. Total distance: 17.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

40m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 6.7 miles on Piilani 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: at 0.1 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.1 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.2 miles (HI 31 / Piilani Highway): Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Haleakalā National Park. 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 Wailuku, 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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