Blood, Trauma, and Biohazard Cleanup in Keokea, HI

Keokea, whose Census spelling is Kēōkea, is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) on the island of Maui in Maui County, Hawaii, and it is also designated Hawaiian home land.

The 2020 census recorded 2,199 residents in 663 households in the Keokea CDP, up from 1,612 residents in 2010.

Keokea sits on Hawaii State Highway 37, the Kula Highway, at an elevation of about 2,860 feet on the slopes of Haleakala, about 21 miles southeast of Kahului.

The CDP covers 18.35 square miles, all of it land.

Keokea was originally settled by Chinese immigrants, and the Hakka Chinese influence on the community is visible in landmarks such as St. John's Episcopal Church, which is adorned with Chinese characters, and the Kwok Hing Society Temple.

Sun Yat-sen, the first provisional president of the Republic of China, lived in Keokea for a while in 1911, and Sun Yat-sen Park between Keokea and Ulupalakua honors him, on land donated by Ulupalakua Ranch in 1989.

Sun Yat-sen's brother Sun Mei was one of the Chinese immigrants who made Keokea their home in the early 20th century.

Agriculture, forestry and ranching are important around Keokea, supported by fertile though often rocky volcanic loams, and the community produces vegetables and flowers including cabbages, Kula onions, carnations and proteas.

Keokea has a temperate climate because of its elevation, with mean annual precipitation of about 32 inches, while lowlands 5 miles to the northwest receive less than 16 inches a year and higher elevations 10 miles to the northeast receive about 140 inches.

Keokea is bordered to the north by the community of Kula, and to the southeast is the Kula Forest Preserve, which rises to 7,051-foot Puʻukēōkea.