Fast Facts About the Aloha State
Population: 1,211,537.
Area: 6,450 square miles; ranks 47th.
Capital: Honolulu.
Highest Point: 13,796 ft., Mauna Kea, Island of Hawai‘i.
Lowest Point: Sea level, Pacific Ocean.
Time Zone(s): Hawai‘i-Aleutian. The state observes standard time all year. When daylight saving time is observed on the mainland, an additional hour is added to the time difference between the two, making Hawai‘i 3 hours behind the West Coast and 6 hours behind the East Coast.
Minumum age for drivers: No more than one passenger under age 18 is permitted; family members are exempt. Driving is not permitted 11 p.m.-5 a.m. The minimum age for an unrestricted driver's license is 17. For more information, phone (808) 523-4100.
Auto Restraints: Seat belts required for driver and front-seat passengers 18 and over. Children 8 until 18 are required to be in a seat belt; child restraints required for under 8.
Helmets for motorcyclists: Required for riders under 18; windscreen or eye protection required for all. Under age 7 are not permitted on motorcycles or motor scooters.
Radar Detectors: Permitted.
Firearms Laws: Vary by state and/or county. Contact the Firearms Division of the Honolulu Police Department; phone (808) 529-3371.
Holidays:Jan. 1; Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. (3rd Mon.); Presidents' Day, Feb. (3rd Mon.); Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaole Day, Mar. 26; Good Friday; Easter; Memorial Day, May (last Mon.); King Kamehameha I Day, June 11; July 4; Statehood Day, Aug. (3rd Fri.); Labor Day, Sept. (1st Mon.); Discoverer's Day, Oct. (2nd Mon.); Veterans Day, Nov. 10; Election Day, Nov.; Thanksgiving; Christmas, Dec. 25.
Taxes: Hawai‘i has a general excise tax of 4 percent (4.5 percent on O‘ahu). There also is a 7.25 percent Transient Accommodations Tax on lodgings for stays of less than 180 consecutive days.
Phone rates: Calls made to any part of the same island are local calls (no toll); calls from one island to another are toll calls. Dial 911 for emergency phone calls on all the islands.STATEWIDE EVENTS: Wesak Day, Apr. (1st Sun.); Bodhi Day, Dec. (Sun. nearest Dec. 7); Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop's Birthday, Dec. 19.
Welcome Centers: Information is available Mon.-Fri. 8-4:30, except holidays, at Hawai‘i Visitors & Convention Bureau, 2270 Kalākaua Ave., Suite 801, Honolulu, HI 96815; phone (800) 464-2924.
Recreation Information: Division of State Parks: Dept. of Land and Natural Resources 1151 Punchbowl St., Kalanimoku Building, Rm. 310 Honolulu, HI 96813 (808) 587-0300.
Fishing & Hunting: Division of Aquatic Resources: Dept. of Land and Natural Resources 1151 Punchbowl St., Room 330 Honolulu, HI 96813 (808) 587-0100 Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement, Hunting: Hunter Education Program 1151 Punchbowl St., Room 311 Honolulu, HI 96813 (808) 587-0077 (800) 464-2924.

