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The Fern Forest handbook

Living in Fern Forest, HI: what to set up and who to call

Fern Forest has no town government of its own, so Hawaii County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Hawaii Department of Education. The closest public drop-off to Fern Forest is Glenwood Solid Waste Transfer Station, 4 miles out; the town decides whether residents may use it.

Trash & dumpWhich school will my kid attend?How do I register to vote?ZIP codes
Fern Forest has no town government. It’s a census-designated place in Hawaii County, so the county and regional agencies provide most services. This page answers what we can; the same answers appear on Fern Forest’s town page under “Getting set up”.

I’m new in town

What to set up in Fern Forest, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.

PowerHawaii Electric Light Coinvestor-owned utility · 45.8¢/kWhMore →
InternetWhich providers serve Fern ForestData pending · FCC map (D4)
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offGlenwood Solid Waste Transfer Station, 4 miMore →SchoolHawaii Department of EducationWhich school depends on grade and addressMore →Register to voteOnlineRules from vote.govMore →ZIP codes96785, 96771Where people live, not P.O. boxesMore →
Home services

Power, water and internet

Who to call to start service at a new address in Fern Forest.

Electricity

Power comes from Hawaii Electric Light Co

Hawaii Electric Light Co (Hawaii Electric Light Co Inc), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Fern Forest. Its homes paid an average of 45.8¢ per kWh in 2025, about $206 a month (its average across Hawaii).

Start or move service: hawaiielectriclight.com · (808) 969-6999

Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.

Internet

Which providers serve Fern Forest

Data pending · D4

This card will list the home internet providers the FCC’s National Broadband Map shows in Fern Forest, the share of addresses that can get 100/20 Mbps and the share with fiber, with the map’s “as of” date.

Source to come: FCC Broadband Data Collection.

Trash & recycling

The nearest public drop-off is 4 miles away

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Fern Forest.

Nearest public drop-off · 4.1 mi from the center of Fern Forest

Glenwood Solid Waste Transfer Station

This isn’t Fern Forest’s own facility. Whether Fern Forest residents may use it is the town’s rule: check the town’s office.

OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Schools

Where your child goes to school

Public school districts and the school path by grade.

Fern Forest kids go to
PK–5178 elementary schoolsDepends on your address
6–854 middle schoolsDepends on your address
9–1245 high schoolsDepends on your address

Fern Forest is in Hawaii Department of Education.

Test scores and every school: see Schools →

U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.

Government & voting

No town hall: the county runs things

Fern Forest is unincorporated, so Hawaii County is the local government.

Local governmentHawaii CountyFern Forest is a census-designated place: no town hall of its ownCensus
Who runs elections hereHawaii County ClerkElections here are run by Hawaii County (county election office). Its listing was last updated in 2015, so we don’t show its contacts: check olvr.hawaii.gov.FVAP, Aug 2015
Register to voteOnlineIn Hawaii you can register online up to and including Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 10 days before).vote.govCheck your registration and polling placeolvr.hawaii.govThe state’s voter lookup

Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Aug 2015; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

ZIP codes & area codes

Fern Forest spans 2 ZIP codes

ZIP codes where Fern Forest residents live, with the share of the town in each.

ZIPPost office nameShare of Fern ForestZIP’s residents in Fern Forest
96785Volcano, HI98%27%
96771Mountain View, HI2%0%
Area code808Wikidata

Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.

Everyday places

Getting around, the ER and the library

One line each; the subject pages have the rest.

Nearest emergency roomHilo Benioff Medical Center17.5 miles awayGet a library cardHawaii State Public Library SystemNearest branch: Mountain View Public and School Library, 18-1235 Volcano Highway · (808) 968-2322

ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.

Questions about living in Fern Forest

Who provides electricity in Fern Forest?

Hawaii Electric Light Co (Hawaii Electric Light Co Inc), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 45.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).

What ZIP codes are in Fern Forest?

96785 (98%), 96771 (2%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Fern Forest in?

Hawaii Department of Education.

How do I register to vote in Fern Forest?

In Hawaii you can register online up to and including Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 10 days before). Elections here are run by the Hawaii County Clerk. Check your registration at olvr.hawaii.gov.

Sources & dates

Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.

  • Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
  • Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
  • ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
  • Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
  • Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
  • Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
  • Internet (FCC): pending.