Kapolei is one of the first master planned cities in Oahu. It is popularly known as Oahu’s “second city” (first being Honolulu). This city has quite fascinating history. About 30 years ago, most of it was covered with sugar cane fields, today it is a vibrant city with new residents flocking into the city every day. As per the census of 2010, it has a population of about fifteen thousand people. This city also has a growing tourism scene. Here’s a brief history of Kapolei, the “second city” of Oahu. The name Kapolei came from Kapo, which is the Hawaiian goddess of sorcery and hula. There is also Pu’u Kapolei hill located in the Kapolei regional park. During the winter solstice, the sunset glow creates a beautiful arrangement of bright light around this hill. Ancient Hawaiians called it “lei”. This is how the name “Kapolei” was formed. The history of this place starts with James Campbell, an Irish carpenter who moved to this area and purchased around 41000 acres of land in 1977. Being an entrepreneur, Campbell drilled in the area to uncover a pure water reserve. Following this, the city transformed from an arid desert to a sugar plantation mecca. Campbell made a fortune in the sugar cane industry and left about 3 million US dollars in his trust after his death in 1900. In 1955, estate of James Campbell started planning for a new urban city in this place “the city of Kapolei”. The plan was called as “Ewa master plan” Within 45 years, this place was transformed into a full-fledged city. With lot of shopping centers, banks, theatres, schools, water parks, resorts, and other infrastructures. There were about 8000 homes in this city in the year 2000. The first homes were built in 1960. Condos started appearing in 1972. The real estate industry here has seen a rapid growth in the following years. Today, Kapolei is a growing city with about 800 businesses, thousands of new jobs which are continuously growing because new opportunities are springing up in this area, and the homes here are still quite affordable. By reading this article, you have gained new knowledge about this city which will help you decide in case you are planning to move or visit here.