Origin
Kahului, HI
Morning in Kahului on Friday
Local time
10:04 AM
HST
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Kahului, HI to Wailea, HI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
35m
Distance
16.1 mi
26 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kahului, HI
Mike Norris
Wailea, HI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Kahului, HI to Wailea, HI covers 16.1 miles and takes about 35m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Piilani Highway, Maui Veterans Highway, South Puunene Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6.6 miles on Piilani Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.49 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 35m. Total distance: 16.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 35m drive with frequent turns across 16.1 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Piilani Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 6.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near HI 3400 / Kahului Beach Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 16.1 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (HI 3400 / Kahului Beach Road): Navigation decision point; at 14.8 miles (Okolani Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 15.3 miles (Wailea Alanui Drive): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
HI 3400 / Kahului Beach Road
Turn right onto HI 3400 / Kahului Beach Road
Navigation decision point
5
14.8 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
Okolani Drive
Turn right onto Okolani Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
15.3 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
Wailea Alanui Drive
Turn left onto Wailea Alanui Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
6
15.9 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Enter roundabout
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
16 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Piilani Highway | 6.6 mi | 14m |
| Maui Veterans Highway | 6.4 mi | 11m |
| South Puunene Avenue | 1.2 mi | 3m |
| Wailea Alanui Drive | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Okolani Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Kaahumanu Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Kahului Beach Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Piilani Highway
— 6.6 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Kahului, HI and Wailea, HI.
1
Start on this road
0.2 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
2
Turn right onto HI 3400
458 ft
·
12 sec
·
Kahului Beach Road
3
Turn left onto HI 32
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Kaahumanu Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
Turn right onto HI 3500
1.2 mi
·
3 min
·
South Puunene Avenue
5
Continue on HI 311
6.4 mi
·
11 min
·
Maui Veterans Highway
Use the straight lane.
6
Continue on HI 31
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Piilani Highway
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
Enter roundabout onto HI 31
117 ft
·
2 sec
·
Piilani Highway
8
Continue on HI 31
4.7 mi
·
10 min
·
Piilani Highway
Use the straight lane.
9
Turn right onto Okolani Drive
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Okolani Drive
Use the right lane.
10
Turn left onto Wailea Alanui Drive
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Wailea Alanui Drive
Use the straight / left lanes.
11
Turn right
79 ft
·
7 sec
12
Continue
519 ft
·
46 sec
13
Turn left
339 ft
·
24 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.49 one way
$6.98 round trip
$5.51/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.79 | $3.67 | $7.34 |
| premium | $5.98 | $3.79 | $7.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.55 | $7.11 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.69 | $0.77 |
| Efficient EV | 4 | 0 | $1.41 | $0.64 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.25 | $1.03 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Wailea, HI
Morning in Wailea on Friday
Local time
10:04 AM
HST
Current temp
87°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
18 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
35m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Kahului, HI to Wailea, HI covers 16.1 miles and takes about 35m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Piilani Highway, Maui Veterans Highway, South Puunene Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8 miles from Kahului, HI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.49 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 16.1 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (HI 3400 / Kahului Beach Road): Navigation decision point; at 14.8 miles (Okolani Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 15.3 miles (Wailea Alanui Drive): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Kahului, HI to Wailea, HI does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Haleakalā National Park.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Wailea, HI
More trips to Wailea, HI
Explore more options from Kahului, HI or browse trips ending in Wailea, HI.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse HI road trips.