Pearl City, HI Summary

Pearl City overlooks Pearl Harbor in south-central Oahu. Most visitors go directly to the USS Arizona National Memorial. Pearl Harbor is one of America’s principal naval bases.

The inlet is 6 miles west of Honolulu off Hwy 1 and feeds out to Mamala Bay. In 1887 the US government was granted exclusive use of the inlet and used it as a repair and coaling station for ships. After the United States annexed the Hawaiian Islands in 1898, improvements were made. By 1911, a wide channel out to the ocean had been dredged through sand bar and coral reef. The channel is 35 feet deep and the harbor is up to 60 feet deep, allowing passage for even the largest naval vessels.

The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese in 1941 triggered the United States’ entry into World War II. Japanese submarines and carrier-based planes attacked the US Pacific Fleet, sinking or damaging eight battleships and 13 other naval vessels.

Two hundred American aircraft were destroyed, and 3,000 naval and military personnel were killed or injured. The USS Arizona, a 608-foot battleship, sank in nine minutes. All 1,177 sailors and marines on board died. The deck of the ship lies 6 feet below the water’s surface. The memorial stands above the hull of the battleship. US Navy launches provide transportation to the memorial from the shore-side visitor center, which also offers a museum and a short video.