Hilo, community and seat of Hawaii County, eastern Hawaii Island, Hawaii, located on Hilo Bay. One of the state's largest settlements, Hilo is a busy seaport and a commercial and tourist center for Hawaii Island. It is situated in an area where sugarcane, fruits, orchids, and macadamia nuts are cultivated. The University of Hawaii at Hilo (1947), Lyman House Memorial Museum (1839), Nani Mau Gardens, and Liliuokalani Gardens Park are located here. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, with two active volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Kilauea; the dormant Mauna Kea volcano and Mauna Kea Observatory; Panaewa Zoo; and Rainbow Falls are all nearby. Hilo was settled by missionaries in the early 1820s. It is governed by Hawaii County, but it has legally established limits and is considered a “census designated place” according to the United States Bureau of the Census. According to the 1990 census, people of Asian background constitute 70.2 percent of Hilo's population, whites comprise 26.6 percent, Hispanics of all races represent 8.5 percent, and blacks and Native Americans each represent 0.6 percent. Population 35,269 (1980); 37,808 (1990); 37,728 (1996 estimate).
