Honolulu is the seat of Honolulu County on the southeastern coast of the island of Oahu, between Pearl City and Waimanalo Beach. It lies along Interstate H1 near Pearl Harbor and Mamala Bay.

Honolulu's harbor was entered in 1794 by an English captain, William Brown. Evolving from a mud hut settlement into the residence of Hawaiian royalty, Honolulu became of the kingdom of Hawaii's permanent capital in 1845. Whalers and sandalwood traders sailed into its port and the city was occupied by Russian, British and French forces in succession. It continued as Hawaii's capital with the United States' annexation of the islands in 1898 and statehood in 1959.

The city of Honolulu and Honolulu County are one government entity with a 2000 census of 876,156. It is an ethnically diverse city and the crossroads of the Pacific. Tourism, diversified industry and luxury hotels have made Honolulu Hawaii's business and population center.