Oahu Regions and Areas

There are many ways to split up Oahu by region, with each guidebook and website drawing their own lines. Why is there such a disparity and how can it easily be described? Well, Oahu is a single county politically divided into six districts, starting in the north and moving clockwise: Ko’olauloa, Ko’olaupoko, Kona, Ewa, Wai’anae, and Wai’alua. Here you can see an image of the District Map.

It seems simple enough until you start to describe what's in each area and/or how to get to certain locations. For example, it makes the most sense to refer to the Kona district as the Waikiki and Honolulu region since it is highly recognizable and the hub of visitor activity. The same holds true for the Wai’alua district which we refer to as the North Shore because this nickname is widely known. To the modern day traveler the district names serve no practical purpose.

The remedy then is to find a way to divide the island into segments that are easy to recognize, describe, and access via the major roads of the island.

Our way is pretty simple and it's a method we've followed religiously in all of our physical guidebooks. We like to take the North, East, South, and West approach and we've stayed as true as possible to that format here online (see the map above). In general, we've adjusted some region names as needed and kept others to preserve common reference. For example, we refer to west Oahu's coast as 'Wai’anae (Leeward)' instead of 'West Oahu' because it is almost always referred to as such on the island.

Ultimately, we've divided the island in a manner that helps us group spots together so that they are easily accessible along the major routes of the island. This allows us to use our mile by mile directions to easily and accurately describe each spot here on our website.

The island can be divided into five regions: Waikiki and Honolulu, The North Shore, Central Oahu, Wai`anae (Leeward) Region and East (Windward) Region. Within these five areas is a diverse offering of beauty, history, culture and excitement which makes Oahu one of the most visited islands.

Via the links below we'll cover each of those areas in detail so you will know exactly what to expect in each region of Oahu. The map seen here to the bottom right shows our divisions, versus the District Map. They are, clockwise: Waikiki and Honolulu, Central Oahu, Wai'anae (Leeward Side), North Shore, and East (Windward) Oahu.

Below is a general synopsis of what you can expect in each region of Oahu, along with a variety of links providing you quick access to the most popular attractions in that region or area.

Waikiki and Honolulu Region & Area (Waikiki and Honolulu Highlights)
Waikiki and Honolulu Region
---We're still building this area - links coming soon!

North Shore Oahu Region & Area (North Shore Highlights)
North Shore Oahu Region
---We're still building this area - links coming soon!

Central Oahu Region & Area (Central Oahu Highlights)
Central Oahu Region
---We're still building this area - links coming soon!

Wai`anae Oahu Region & Area (Waianae Highlights)
Leeward Waianae Oahu Region
---We're still building this area - links coming soon!

Windward East Oahu Region & Area (East Oahu Highlights)
East Oahu Region
---We're still building this area - links coming soon!

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