Aiea, Hawaii

For the tree known as ʻAiea or kāwaʻu, see Ilex anomala.

Aiea, Hawaii
—  CDP  —
Location in Honolulu County and the state of Hawaii
Coordinates: 21°23′9.2394″N 157°55′51.3366″W / 21.385899833°N 157.930926833°W / 21.385899833; -157.930926833Coordinates: 21°23′9.2394″N 157°55′51.3366″W / 21.385899833°N 157.930926833°W / 21.385899833; -157.930926833
Country	United States
State	Hawaii
Counties	Honolulu
Area
- Total	1.8 sq mi (4.6 km2)
- Land	1.7 sq mi (4.3 km2)
- Water	0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation[1]	249 ft (76 m)
Population (2000)[2]
- Total	9,019
- Density	5,010.6/sq mi (1,960.7/km2)
ZIP code	96701[3]
Area code(s)	808
GNIS feature ID	2413992[1]

View from 99-700th block of Aiea Heights Drive in Aiea Heights down to Pearl Harbor (south). The USS Missouri museum ship can be seen moored at the far right.

Aiea (Hawaiian: ʻAiea) is a census-designated place (CDP) located in the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the CDP had a total population of 9,019.^[2]

Geography

Aiea is located at 21°23′9″N 157°55′51″W / 21.38583°N 157.93083°W / 21.38583; -157.93083 (21.385900, -157.930927).^[2] According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), of which, 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) of it (5.71%) is water.^[2]

Kamehameha Highway (Hawaii Route 90) divides most of Aiea from the shore of Pearl Harbor (mostly US government property), and the parallel major thoroughfare, Interstate H-1, further cuts the town's commercial district into two distinct areas. These east-west routes (and other streets, such as Moanalua Road) connect Aiea to Pearl City immediately adjacent on the west and Halawa adjacent on the east. The residential area known as Aiea Heights extends up the ridgeline above the town. The communities of Newtown Estates and Royal Summit are located at the western edge of Aiea near its border with Pearl City at Kaahumanu Street. Residents of the census-designated places (CDP) of Waimalu and Hālawa use Aiea in their postal address.

History

Historically, ʻAiea was an ahupuaʻa, or area of land ruled by chief or king and managed by the members of the ʻaliʻi

"ʻAiea" was originally the name of an ahupuaʻa, or Hawaiian land division. The name was derived from a species of plant in the nightshade family, Nothocestrum latifolium.^[4] It stretched from ʻAiea Bay (part of Pearl Harbor) into the mountains to the north. At the end of the 19th century, a sugarcane plantation was opened in the district by the Honolulu Plantation Company.

As Aiea has several miles of shoreline on Pearl Harbor, the focus of the 7 December 1941 attack by the Japanese on military installations there greatly impacted the town. For example, one damaged ship, the USS Vestal, beached at Aiea Bay to prevent sinking. Many photographers photographed the battle from the hills in Aiea.

After World War II the plantation shut down and the mill was converted into a sugar refinery. Meanwhile, developers started extending the town into the surrounding former sugarcane fields. In the years since then, Aiea has grown into an important suburb of Honolulu. The town's sugar history came to a close in 1996, when C&H Sugar closed the refinery. Then in 1998, the 99-year old sugar mill was torn down by the owners, amid protests from town residents and the County government.

Singer and actress Bette Midler was raised in Aiea.

Demographics

As of the census^[5] of 2000, there were 9,019 people, 2,758 households, and 2,258 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 5,463.5 people per square mile (2,110.5/km²). There were 2,831 housing units at an average density of 1,714.9 per square mile (662.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 16.25% White, 0.85% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 58.31% Asian, 5.08% Pacific Islander, 0.77% from other races, and 18.59% from two or more races. 5.47% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,758 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.0% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.1% were non-families. 13.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.24 and the average family size was 3.51.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $71,155, and the median income for a family was $75,992. Males had a median income of $41,384 versus $32,394 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $25,111. 4.6% of the population and 3.4% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 8.1% of those under the age of 18 and 4.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Attractions

Aiea is the home of Pearlridge, Hawaii's largest enclosed shopping center and second largest shopping center in the state. The mall is separated into two sections, known as Uptown and Downtown, includes the only monorail in Hawaii, the only hospital located on mall property (Kapiolani Medical Center at Pali Momi), and Hawaii's largest watercress farm (Sumida Farm).

Aloha Stadium, home of the University of Hawaiʻi Warriors football team, and the host site for the Hawaiʻi Bowl every Christmas Eve and the National Football League's Pro Bowl every February (except in 2009), is located in the adjacent Halawa CDP.^[6]

Aiea is also the home to Keaiwa Heiau, an ancient medicine shrine. Also there is a 4.5-mile (7.2 km) loop trail. A World War II plane crashed in the trail and can be seen halfway through.

Aiea is also home to Aiea Shopping Center. The the center's anchor stores include Times Super Market, McDonald's, Starbucks, and Jamba Juice. Aiea Chop Suey, Aiea Copy Center, Koa Pancake House, and L&L Drive inn are other businesses located in the center as well.

Government and infrastructure

The United States Postal Service operates the Aiea Post Office.^[7]

The Hawaii Department of Public Safety operates the Halawa Correctional Facility in an area near Aiea.^[8][9]

Education

All areas of Hawaii are served by public schools of the Hawaii Department of Education.

Elementary schools in the CDP include Alvah A. Scott and Gus Webling.^[10] Aiea Elementary School is in the adjacent Halawa CDP.^[6] Pearl Ridge Elementary School and Waimalu Elementary School are in the Waimalu CDP.^[11] Aiea Intermediate School and Aiea High School are the secondary schools in the Aiea CDP.^[10]

Our Savior Lutheran school is a private school in the area.

References

Hawaii portal

1. ^ ^{a b} "Geographic Names Information System". United States Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
3. ^ United States Postal Service (2010). "USPS - ZIP Code Lookup - Search By Address". http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp. Retrieved 2010-07-07. 
4. ^ Medeiros, AC (Spring 2003). "The Pū ʻOlē ʻOlē" (PDF). Native Plants (Native Plants Network): 51. http://www.nativeplantnetwork.org/Content/Articles/4-1NPJ48-51.pdf. 
5. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
6. ^ ^{a b} "Halawa CDP, Hawaii." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on May 21, 2009.
7. ^ "Post Office Location - AIEA." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 19, 2010.
8. ^ "Halawa Correctional Facility." Hawaii Department of Public Safety. Retrieved on May 19, 2010.
9. ^ "Bravery, intelligence and instinct save a life." Corrections Today. February 1, 2002. Retrieved on May 19, 2010. "Robyn Kalahiki hostage in the medical unit of the Halawa Correctional Facility in Aiea Hawaii"
10. ^ ^{a b} "Aiea CDP." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on May 21, 2009.
11. ^ "Waimalu CDP, Hawaii." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on May 21, 2009.

External links