Posted in Hawaii April 08, 2020 by Megan Shute

9 Fun Facts That Prove Just How Isolated The Hawaiian Islands Truly Are

The Hawaiian Islands are easily the most unique place in America, if not the entire world, and that’s not just because it’s a tropical island chain. In addition to its fascinating, yet tumultuous, history and a unique culture that has been shaped and influenced by a variety of peoples over the course of several centuries, Hawaii is the most isolated population center on earth and here are nine facts that prove just how isolated our beautiful islands are — from America and the rest of the world.

We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/

1. The Aloha State is separated from the United States mainland — California, to be specific — by 2,390 miles. That’s approximately a five-hour flight from the Los Angeles International Airport to the Honolulu International Airport.

2. The next nearest landmass to the Hawaiian Islands is Japan, which is approximately 3,850 miles — or an 8.5-hour flight — away.

3. Hawaii has its very own time zone — Hawaiian Standard Time — and does not participate in daylight savings time.

4. While this makes it a pain to transport your pets to and from Hawaii, everyone can be happy about living in a rabies-free state. Due to its isolated location, it’s no surprise that Hawaii is the only state in the country without rabies.

5. The island chain is 4,900 miles from China and 5,280 miles from the Philippines.

6. The Hawaiian Islands are home to hundreds of endemic plant and animal species you won’t find anywhere else in the world — like the Hawaiian monk seal and the nene, which is the rarest goose in the world.

7. You won’t find many out-of-state license plates here. Because newcomers have to register their vehicles within 30 days of arrival, it’s rare to see anything other than Hawaii’s iconic rainbow plates. Hawaii does have interstate highways, though — weird, right?

8. The only place you’ll find snakes in Hawaii is in a zoo because they are banned from entering the island chain.

9. Not a single one of America’s largest banks — including Bank of America, Chase, Citi, and Wells Fargo — offers a physical retail location in Hawaii.

So, do you have a little more perspective on just how isolated Hawaii truly is? Are there any other facts that have made you realize how far Hawaii is from the mainland United States and the rest of the world?

Address: Hawaii, USA