Honolulu, Hawaii, is the closest major city to Hickam; the field is inside the city. Honolulu is a city-county with about 390,000 people, on the island of Oahu.

It is about 9 miles from downtown Honolulu to Hickam; this takes about 17 minutes to commute in good traffic, but the city has the some of the most congested traffic in the USA and travel times can vary significantly.

The local economy is diversified, but there is a strong tourism, shipping, military services, and defense industry base.

Local Housing Rental Prices: The average apartment rent in the Honolulu area ranges from $800 to $1,500 per month, with a median of $1,000 per month for a one-bedroom.

Local Housing Purchase Prices: The average price for a house in Honolulu is about $590,000, compared to $525,000 for Hawaii. This varies greatly on type of house; condos are a good deal less.

Short Description of the Area: Honolulu is a mid-sized city for the US, but the largest city in Hawaii. The city is somewhat long and narrow, and follows the island's coastline. The city's space is limited, and there are a fairly high number of high-rise buildings. Hawaii in general is known for beautiful scenery, beaches, and environment, and Honolulu is no exception. The city has an Asian-American majority (55%), with European-Americans second most common (18%), and Pacific Islanders third.

Climate and Weather: The area has a tropical climate, with year round temperatures between the mid-80s and low-70s; about 5 degrees cooler in winter and 5 higher in summer. There is a slight difference in rainfall from winter to summer, less than three inches a year - the rains are a little heavier in winter. Disastrous weather - hurricanes, tornadoes, and other severe storms - is rare. The islands are volcanically active, but the main volcano in Hawaii is on another island, and there is no expectation of an eruption on Oahu in the near future. Overall the area is very pleasant.

Transit: Honolulu is served by TheBus (one word) system, which reaches all around the area.

Local Culture: Hawaii is very removed from the mainland US, and has a different set of customs and habits, its own local cuisine, casual dress styles, a strong local dialect, and other social features, a blend of native Hawaiian, Asian, US mainlander, and other Pacific influences. Ask locals, politely.