Papaikou, Hawaii

About Papaikou

Papaikou, HI is a small unincorporated community located in southeastern Hawaii.

Papaikou holds the status of a census-designated place — a real, named community that residents call home, governed at the county level. The community covers 1.45 square miles.

📰 Papaikou News Today

• New Papaikou cell tower draws ire - Hawaii Tribune-Herald Hawaii Tribune-Herald · Aug 2
• Papaikou Air Quality Index (AQI) and USA Air Pollution IQAir · Jun 23
• Falls on Fire festival approved to continue in Papaikou after years of permit disputes Hawaii News Now · May 16
• Nicasio "Nick" Valledor Obituary (2026) - Papaikou, HI - Dodo Mortuary, Inc. - Hilo Legacy obituary · Jul 30
• Approval granted for Burning Man-style event on Hawaii land SFGATE · May 22

Live headlines via Google News — updates through the day.

What Makes Papaikou Unique

• The only place in America named Papaikou — a truly one-of-a-kind name among 32,000+ US communities.
• An unincorporated community — no city hall of its own, which often means lower local taxes and county-managed services.
• Island living in the Pacific — year-round tropical climate.
• Positioned in southeastern Hawaii, convenient to the region's corridors and crossings.

Why People Love It Here

• Small-town pace of life: less traffic, more community, and neighbors who wave.
• Cost of living typically runs below the big-metro average.
• Well connected: 3+ neighboring communities within 4 miles.

🎡 Fun Things to Do

• Onomea Museum · Museum

Attractions mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.

🏞️ Parks & Outdoors in Papaikou

• Hawaiʻi Tropical Botanical Garden · Garden reviews ★

Parks mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · "reviews" opens each park's live Google reviews.

🏫 Schools in Papaikou

• Prince Jonah Kalanianaole Elementary & Intermediate School

Public schools, U.S. Dept. of Education (NCES) 2023–24 directory.

⚡ Quick Facts

🗺️ Map of Papaikou

🏘️ Nearby Communities