Formed August 1, 1905 (2nd county)
Kauai County (73,294), Lihue* (8,004), Kapaa* (11,652)
The courthouse for the county is made of masonry. The 2005 courthouse is on Kaana Street at Kapule Highway. The Modern courthouse was designed by Anbe, Aruga, and Ishizu Architects. Hawaii State Highway 51 is Kapule Highway. There was a 1938 courthouse also in Lihue. The county is named for the island. Lihue comes from the Hawaiian word for “cold chill.”
Kauai County government consists of a police chief, a mayor, a clerk, and an auditor (executive). It has 7 Council Members (legislative.) Two Circuit Court Judges, Eight Court Judges, and Nine Family Court Judges and a county attorney serve Kauai County (judicial.) The county is the furthest northwest of the Hawaiian counties. It was established on August 1, 1905 as the 2nd county. The county center is 24 miles West of Lihue nearer Kaumakini. The county is surrounded clockwise by the Pacific Ocean and Honolulu County.
The area of the county is 622 square miles. It is 3 out of 5 in the state. It ranks 4 out of 5 in population in the state. It has a density of 117.8 persons per square mile making it 3 out of 5 in the state. Kauai County has 0.0% of its population in its incorporated areas as there are no incorporated cities. There are no federal highways in the county. The main island is shaped like a ball and the small island is shaped like a hook. Lihue is located on the eastern coast. Lihue is the county seat and Kapaa is the largest populated area although it is unincorporated. Lihue is 10.9% of the county population while Kapaa is 15.9% of the county population. The county is pronounced KA-OO-A-EE. The county seat is pronounced LEE-HOO-E. This county is in the Kapaa Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Lihue (unincorporated)
