Honokaa’s post office opened in 1900, and 19% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 62% of U.S. towns. What drives it
19 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 8 buildings between them.
How Honokaa began
When was Honokaa founded?
The Honokaa post office opened in 1900, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Haina (1923), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
How historic is Honokaa?
More historic than 62% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
What drives Honokaa’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Honokaa is more historic than 62% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
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 Honokaa’s 204 sits above most of its state (100% of Hawaii towns have fewer) while its 40 historic buildings outnumber those of 83% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). 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 →
19 historic places in Honokaa
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
Architectural styles listings
All 19 listings
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds
Honokaa’s post office has been open since 1900. Another post office, Haina, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Honokaa’s history
What year was Honokaa founded?
The Honokaa post office opened in 1900, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Honokaa rank for history?
Honokaa is more historic than 62% 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.
What is on the National Register in Honokaa?
19 listings: 16 buildings, 2 historic districts, the Chee Ying Society and the Honokaʻa Catholic Properties–Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, with 8 contributing buildings, and 1 site. 40 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Honokaa?
19% of Honokaa’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±10.8 points), against a typical 1.7% for a Hawaii town; the median home was built in 1968.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Where this page comes from
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 the National Register of Historic Places (19), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) 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.