Kalawao County, Hawaii

Kalawao County
Kalaupapa peninsula
Kalaupapa peninsula
Map of Hawaii highlighting Kalawao County
Location within the U.S. state of Hawaii
Map of the United States highlighting Hawaii
Hawaii's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 21°11′49″N 156°58′02″W / 21.196944444444°N 156.96722222222°W / 21.196944444444; -156.96722222222
Country United States
State Hawaii
Founded1905
Named forKalawao
Seatnone (administered by Hawaii Dept. of Health)
Largest communityKalaupapa
Area
 • Total53 sq mi (140 km2)
 • Land12 sq mi (30 km2)
 • Water41 sq mi (110 km2)  77.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total82
 • Density1.5/sq mi (0.60/km2)
Time zoneUTC−10 (Hawaii–Aleutian)
Congressional district2nd
Map
Interactive map of Kalawao County, Hawaii

Kalawao County (Hawaiian: Kalana o Kalawao) is a county in the U.S. state of Hawaii.[1] It is the smallest county in the 50 states by land area and the second-smallest county by population, after Loving County, Texas.[2] The county encompasses the Kalaupapa or Makanalua Peninsula, on the north coast of the island of Molokaʻi. The small peninsula is isolated from the rest of Molokaʻi by cliffs over a quarter-mile high; the only land access is a mule trail.[3]

Because of the small population (82 as of the 2020 United States Census[4]), Kalawao County does not have the same functions as other Hawaii counties. Instead, it is a judicial district of Maui County, which includes the rest of the island of Molokaʻi. The county has no elected government.[5]

It was developed and used from 1866 to 1969 for settlements for treatment of quarantined persons with Hansen's disease (leprosy).[6]

  1. ^ Voss, Oscar (2012). "Is Kalawao County, on the north shore of Molokai, really a separate county?". Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  2. ^ "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  3. ^ "Kalaupapa National Historical Park". National Park Service. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  4. ^ "Tableau".
  5. ^ "Kalawao County | Office of Hawaiian Affairs" (PDF). Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved August 11, 2022. Kalawao County has no county government; a sheriff is appointed by the Hawai'i Department of Health (DOH). The HRS Chapter 326, Sections 326-1-326-40 Hansen's Disease detail topics including patient treatment, care, services, expenses, and privacy; general excise, income, and real property tax exemptions; employment, compensation, and pensions; Kalaupapa store; fishing laws exemption; and Damien Memorial Chapel.
  6. ^ "When the Last Patient Dies". The Atlantic. May 27, 2015. Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved August 11, 2022.