Quick answer: Kona International Airport (KOA) is the airport to fly into for Kailua-Kona, Kealakekua and the Kohala Coast. Kailua-Kona town is fifteen to twenty five minutes away, and Kealakekua is forty to fifty minutes south. Book your rental car early, because you need one here, and stop for groceries on the way from the airport. Check in at our homes is 4pm, so if you land early the grocery stop fills the gap nicely.
Flying into Kona is one of the nicer arrivals in the country, and it catches people off guard. You come down over black lava, the door opens, and you walk outside. Kona International Airport is largely open to the air, with garden paths between the gates instead of corridors, so the first thing that happens is that the trade wind hits you and the trip starts.
After that it is logistics, and the logistics on this island are worth understanding before you land rather than while you are standing at a rental counter. We host guests on this coast all year, so here is everything we tell them about getting from the plane to the front door.
Where you are sleeping changes the arrival more than anything else does. Casa Aloha is a one bedroom condo on Alii Drive in Kailua-Kona, fifteen to twenty minutes from the airport, with a pool right on the ocean and dinner within walking distance, which makes it the easiest first night of the three. Casa Grateful, the one bedroom couples take, and Casa Gratitude, the two bedroom two bathroom house for families and groups with a third bedroom for children on request, are both up the hill in Kealakekua, forty to fifty minutes south, so do the groceries and the gas before you start climbing. All three are on our homes page.
Which airport you want
The Big Island has two commercial airports and they are on opposite sides of a very large island. Kona International, code KOA, sits on the dry west coast and serves Kailua-Kona, South Kona, the Kohala resorts and everything we write about here. Hilo, code ITO, is on the wet east side, roughly two hours away over Saddle Road.
If you are staying anywhere on this side, fly into Kona even if a Hilo fare looks better. Two hours each way at the start and end of a trip is not worth the saving, and Saddle Road at night in the rain is nobody’s idea of a holiday.
Drive times from the airport, honestly
These are real times with real traffic, not what the map app promises at three in the morning.
Kailua-Kona town: fifteen to twenty five minutes. It is only about seven miles but the highway backs up in the late afternoon.
Keauhou: twenty five to thirty five minutes.
Kealakekua and Captain Cook, where two of our homes are: forty to fifty minutes, all of it on the Hawaii Belt Road climbing south through the coffee belt. It is a pretty drive in daylight and a dark, winding one after sunset.
The Kohala Coast resorts: twenty five to forty minutes north.
Waimea: about forty five minutes, and it is often ten degrees cooler and green when you get there, which surprises everyone.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: two and a half hours south, so it is a day of its own. Do not attempt it on arrival day.
You need a rental car, and you should book it early
There is a county bus, Hele-On, and it is genuinely free to ride through the end of 2028, which surprises people. It is still not a transport plan for a trip: the timetable is built around commuters, the South Kona runs are a handful of trips a day, only a few trips a day serve the airport, and your luggage has to fit on your lap. The things you came for are spread across a county the size of Connecticut, so plan on a car for the whole stay. Our guide to whether you need a rental car works through the whole question.
The rental center is not attached to the terminal. You collect a shuttle from outside baggage claim and ride a few minutes to the counters, which adds fifteen to twenty minutes to your arrival that first time visitors rarely budget for.
Book well ahead. This island genuinely runs out of cars at peak times, and when it does the prices go somewhere silly. If you are coming in a busy stretch, and our month by month guide lays out which those are, reserve the car when you book the flights rather than later.
On four wheel drive: you do not need it. The only place it genuinely matters is the Mauna Kea summit road, and most rental contracts forbid you from taking their car up there anyway, which is one reason the stargazing happens lower down at the visitor station. A normal car handles every road you will actually drive, including the whole coast and the volcano.
A convertible is a heartfelt no from us. The sun here is serious and there is nowhere secure to leave anything.
Uber and Lyft do work at the airport and around Kailua-Kona, Waimea and the Waikoloa resorts, so a ride to a condo in town on arrival night is realistic. They thin out badly in South Kona, which is where two of our three homes are, so do not count on calling one from Kealakekua at nine at night.
Stop for groceries on the way, not tomorrow
This is the single tip guests thank us for most. Between the airport and town you pass the big stores, and stopping once on the way in saves a whole morning later. Costco and Target are both a short detour off the highway just south of the airport, and KTA Super Stores in town is the local one and has a proper fish and poke counter, which we get into in our guide to the best poke in Kona.
Buy coffee, breakfast things, water bottles and whatever you want for the first evening. If you are heading up the hill to Kealakekua or Captain Cook, this matters more, because the South Kona shops are smaller and close earlier. Our guide to where to buy groceries in Kona has the stores, the detours and what each one is good for.
Fill the tank while you are at it. Gas is expensive on this island and the stations thin out considerably as you go south.
Landing late, and the dark
A lot of mainland flights land in the afternoon or early evening. Remember that this is the tropics, so sunset lands between roughly half past five in winter and seven in summer, and there is not much dusk afterward. It goes dark quickly and properly.
The road south to Kealakekua has no streetlights and a fair number of curves. It is perfectly safe and we drive it constantly, but if it is your first time and you are tired from a long flight, take it slowly and skip the scenic detours until morning. Arrival night is for groceries, something easy to eat, and bed. The time change is working on you as well, and we have given the first day its own guide: jet lag in Hawaii, and what to do with your first day.
Flying home
Two things nobody mentions until you are in the line.
First, all bags leaving Hawaii go through an agricultural inspection before you can check in. It is quick, but it is an extra step and the queue for it is separate. Do not pack fresh fruit, flowers or plant material without checking what is allowed.
Second, Kona is a small airport with mostly open air gates and limited seating and food. Arrive two hours early for a mainland flight, and once you are through, there is not much to do, so eat before you go rather than counting on the terminal.
If you have a late flight and a morning to fill, this is the ideal time for a last swim or a coffee farm. Our Ocean Activities page, our guide to things to do in Kona and our coffee stops list all have options within twenty minutes of the airport.
Frequently asked questions
What airport do you fly into for Kona, Hawaii?
Kona International Airport, code KOA, on the west side of the Big Island. It is about seven miles north of Kailua-Kona town and serves the entire Kona and Kohala coast.
How far is Kona airport from Kailua-Kona?
About seven miles, which is fifteen to twenty five minutes depending on the time of day. Kealakekua and Captain Cook are another twenty five minutes or so further south.
Do you need a rental car on the Big Island?
Yes. There is no practical transit for visitors and the island is enormous. Book it at the same time as your flights, because cars do sell out here.
Do you need four wheel drive on the Big Island?
No, unless you are driving to the Mauna Kea summit, which most rental agreements prohibit anyway. A standard car covers every road you are likely to want.
How early should you get to Kona airport for a departing flight?
Two hours for a mainland flight. Bags go through an agricultural inspection before check in, which is an extra queue, and the terminal has limited food once you are through security.
Which Casa Collective home is closest to Kona airport?
Casa Aloha, at fifteen to twenty minutes. It is on Alii Drive in Kailua-Kona, walkable to dinner, and it has a pool that sits right on the ocean. Casa Grateful and Casa Gratitude are in Kealakekua, forty to fifty minutes south of the airport.
What time can you check in, and what do you do if you land before then?
Check in is 4pm and checkout is 10am, with an earlier check in or later checkout available for an additional fee if the calendar allows. Spend the gap on groceries, a late lunch in Kailua-Kona or a first swim at Kahaluu or the Old Kona Airport beach, both in our beaches guide. The FAQ page has the rest of the house rules.
How bad is the jet lag flying into Kona?
Mild in this direction, and the usual symptom is waking at four in the morning for a few days rather than sleeping late. Our jet lag guide covers what to book and what to leave alone on day one.
When you have worked out the flights, we are happy to talk through the rest. Casa Grateful suits couples, Casa Gratitude suits families and groups, and Casa Aloha is the one to take if you would rather walk to dinner on arrival night. All three are here, and if you would rather ask a person which one suits your plans, that is what we are for.