On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Discovery Harbour is more historic than 4% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Discovery Harbour’s overall grade.
Few Hawaii towns list much on the Register (a typical Hawaii town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Discovery Harbour’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (28% of Hawaii towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±1.8 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Discovery Harbour’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Discovery Harbour. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1924Honuapo sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Discovery Harbour.
The story so far
Discovery Harbour, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Discovery Harbour yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Discovery Harbour is an unincorporated community and census-designated place on the island of Hawaii in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. Its population was 1,171 as of the 2020 census. The community is located near the island's southern tip, south of Hawaii Route 11. It is the southernmost populated place in the 50 states of the U.S., surpassing Naalehu by 5.4 miles (8.7 km).
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 949 to 1,171 (+23%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Kipuka Nahuaopala
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Discovery Harbour’s history
How does Discovery Harbour rank for history?
Discovery Harbour is more historic than 4% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Discovery Harbour?
0.0% of Discovery Harbour’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.8 points), against a typical 1.7% for a Hawaii town; the median home was built in 2002.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
