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How far are the Hawaiian Islands from the California coast?

The Hawaiian Islands are approximately 2300 miles from the California coast, 2500 miles north of Tahiti and almost 4000 miles from Tokyo. The Hawaiian Islands comprising the state of Hawaii, are composed of a number of large islands and many smaller islands and islets.



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Planning a trip to the Hawaiian Islands from California? The Big Island is the closest Hawaiian Island, only 2,486 miles away! Direct flights between San Diego, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, and the two international airports on the Big Island: Kona (KOA) and Hilo (ITO), average about 5 hours in length.

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The closest major city is San Francisco, California, at 2,397 miles (3,858 km). Some islands off the Mexican coast and part of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska are slightly closer to Honolulu than the mainland.

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Keep this in mind: Hawaii is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Ocean has two sides, and there are nonstop flights to HNL from both. It's roughly 5–6 hours over ocean if you come from the west coast of the continental U.S. or Canada. (No nonstops from Mexico, Central America, or South America.)

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Here's a quick answer: driving from Los Angeles to Honolulu would take around 40-45 hours of nonstop driving time. Driving from San Francisco would add another 6-8 hours. In this comprehensive guide, we'll go over everything you need to know about making the epic road trip from the mainland US to Hawaii.

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It isn't possible to drive to Hawaii from the mainland United States. The only way to get your car there is by shipping it. Fortunately, it's incredibly easy and cost effective to fly to the islands and rent a car there, saving you time and money.

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April thru June and mid-August thru mid-September are Hawaii's low seasons, and airfares are lower then. No matter what time of year you travel, you may be able to score better deals if you travel midweek.

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To get the best airfare prices, look to fly on Tuesday and Wednesdays. All summer long, midweek flights are a better price.

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The sailing distance from Los Angeles to Hawaii is roughly 2,600 nautical miles. Because of the Pacific High, most sailors first navigate southerly, before heading westerly at 35°N - 25°N. This increases distances but is faster than sailing through the Pacific High.

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No one is allowed to land on Niihau unless you are a resident of the island, a member of the Robinson family, or an invited guest. The Robinson family permits helicopter tours, but contact between the visitors and natives is not allowed. Fishermen and sailors may visit the island by sea, but are not able to land.

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It's such a short flight, that you can even go for the weekend! On average, the absolute shortest flights from Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SAN) to Hawaii are about six hours non-stop.

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It is not necessary to present a passport if you're traveling from the United States as a U.S. citizen. You are only required to show proof of identification when traveling to the beautiful Aloha State.

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