If you are planning your vacation to Hawaii and wondering how far Honolulu is from Maui, you have come to the right place. Knowing the distance between Honolulu and Maui before your trip starts will bring some peace of mind while traveling.
Honolulu and Maui are 104 miles apart if taking a straight flight. The nautical mile between the two islands is 91 if traveling by sea. Due to the islands being located on the Pacific Plate, the Hawaiian Islands are drifting 2-4 inches North West each year as a result of the sea floor spreading.
A few factors influence how far Honolulu is from Maui, such as the transportation methods used for the journey or choosing to travel by sea or by air. There is also the factor of the islands growing bigger and drifting around, which could impact the islands’ distance over time.
What Is The Distance Between Honolulu And Maui?
If you were a bird flying from Honolulu to Maui, your total distance would be 104 miles. If you were a mermaid or a fish swimming straight from Honolulu to Maui, the journey would be 94 nautical miles.
However, assuming you are human and rely on modern transportation when planning your vacation to Hawaii, you would most likely need to know how far Honolulu is from Maui based on modern-day transportation.
How Far Is Honolulu From Maui By Flight?
A straight flight from Honolulu to Maui is 104 miles. Depending on which airport had been chosen as Maui’s arrival destination, the departure and arrival distance will vary between the islands.
Honolulu has one airport called Daniel. K Inouye International Airport (HNL) and Maui have three airports Kahului, Kapalua, and Hana. Kahului is the main airport in Maui, with a flight distance of 101 miles from HNL. Flying to Kapalua airport would be a distance of 84 miles, and Hana airport would be a total of 128 miles from HNL.
The shortest distance available by air is from HNL to Kapalua airport, and the longest flight would be from HNL to Hana airport.
How Far Is Honolulu To Maui By Sea?
The nautical mile distance between the two islands is 91 if traveling by sea. However, there are no direct ferries from Honolulu to Maui.
In 2003 the Hawaii Super Ferry was founded and would transport passengers and even their vehicles between Honolulu, Maui, and other islands. In 2007 the Super ferry stopped all operations. A ferry also operated from Maui to Molokai. However, this service was discontinued in 2016.
There is only one ferry that operates on the island from Lanai to Maui. Therefore, you would first need to fly from Honolulu to Lanai, which would be a flight with a distance of 73 miles, then you would need to take the ferry ride from Lanai to Maui, which covers a distance of 34 miles.
This method of traveling from Honolulu to Maui would be best enjoyed by someone that doesn’t have any time constraints. You could spend a few hours in Lanai before taking the ferry to Maui. Another option would be to overnight in Lanai and take the ferry the next day, exploring all three islands to the fullest.
Although you could get from Honolulu to Maui via cruise ship, cruise lines operate as a holiday with fixed pre-booked tour packages. Therefore you have no say in the order of the ship’s route around the islands.
Why Are There No Ferry Options In Hawaii?
Local Hawaiians prefer having no ferries for environmental concerns. Hawaii has become a travel destination for tourists worldwide. The tourism and hospitality industry has played a destructive role in the environment, impacting the native sacred grounds, indigenous animals, and marine life. There is also a safety concern for the passengers on board as the sea waters are often rough and choppy.
The locals protested against the 349-foot-long Super Ferry to protect marine life. There were concerns that the ferry could carry invasive species of marine life with it or collide with whales while on their routes.
Could You Make A Day Trip From Honolulu To Maui?
Multiple-day tours operate in this manner, whereby Honolulu would be the base of all-day-trip Island hopping.
There are multiple direct flights from Honolulu to Maui each day with a total flight duration of 40 minutes. If you are short on time and don’t want to miss all that Maui has to offer, it is good to know that Maui is close enough to book a return ticket from Honolulu. You could spend the day exploring Maui before flying back to Honolulu the same day.
Are The Hawaiian Islands Drifting Apart?
The Hawaii Islands are located on the Pacific Plate, which moves North West over hot spots of stationary magma, causing volcanic eruptions and islands to be formed. Most of the volcanoes are inactive except for a few, such as the Kilauea volcano on Big Island, which has been active for the last 30 years.
The volcano has been adding roughly 42 acres of land to the island each year as the larva settles on top of the ocean surface. Along with the Pacific Plates moving North West, the Hawaiian Islands are moving North West by 2-4 inches each year.
Even though the islands are moving and growing in size, there will only be a significant change in distance over a few centuries, with no evidence of the distance between Honolulu and Maui changing.
Conclusion
Although Honolulu and Maui are roughly 100 miles apart, the options for traveling between the islands are limited as there are no bridges, buses, or train lines connecting the two locations.
The fastest and most convenient way to travel from Honolulu to Maui would be to fly there. The fastest flight with the shortest distance would be to Kapalua airport from HNL. Not only would this be the most convenient means of travel, but it would also be the safest.
References
- https://www.hawaiimagazine.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-traveling-to-hawaii/
- https://thepointsguy.com/guide/inter-island-travel-hawaii/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii_Superferry
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_Islands
- https://www.hawaiimagazine.com/how-to-travel-to-lanai/
- https://www.hawaiimagazine.com/search/transport
