About Pahala
Set in the southeastern part of Hawaii, Pahala is a small unincorporated community.
Officially, Pahala is a census-designated place — a real, named community that residents call home, governed at the county level. The community covers 0.64 square miles.
📰 Pahala News Today
- Hurricane Lala Cuts Off Hawaii Town With Region’s Only Hospital The New York Times · Aug 16
- Pahala residents face power, water outages as crews work to reopen storm-damaged Highway 11 Hawaii News Now · Aug 17
- Crews work to restore power to thousands after Lala raked Hawaii WRAL · Aug 18
- Crews work to restore power to thousands after Lala raked Hawaii - Seattle Post-Intelligencer Seattle Post-Intelligencer · Aug 18
- Tropical storm Lala wreaks ‘devastation’ to some areas of Hawaii’s Big Island The Guardian · Aug 17
Live headlines via Google News — updates through the day.
What Makes Pahala Unique
- The only place in America named Pahala — 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
- A tight community feel that bigger cities can't replicate.
- Housing dollars stretch further here than in the nearest metro.
- Well connected: 3+ neighboring communities within 15 miles.
🍽️ Where to Eat in Pahala
- Ka'ū Coffee Mill Retail Shop (café)
- AunTee’s Crafts ‘n Snacks (café)
Local spots mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.
🎡 Fun Things to Do
- Punalu'u Black Sand Beach · Attraction
Attractions mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.
🏞️ Parks & Outdoors in Pahala
- Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park · Nature reserve reviews ★
- Kamehame Preserve · Nature reserve reviews ★
- Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park/Kahuku Ranch Cooperative Nen · Nature reserve reviews ★
- Kaʻū Forest Reserve · Nature reserve reviews ★
- Kaʻū Preserve · Nature reserve reviews ★
Parks mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · "reviews" opens each park's live Google reviews.
🏫 Schools in Pahala
- Kau High & Pahala Elementary School
Public schools, U.S. Dept. of Education (NCES) 2023–24 directory.
🏥 Hospitals & Healthcare
- Kau Hospital · 24/7 ER · Critical Access Hospitals
Medicare-registered hospitals with official CMS star ratings.
⚡ Quick Facts
StateHawaii
TypeCDP
Population (2024)—
Land area0.64 sq mi
Coordinates19.1992, -155.4773