WaiÃÂkea is an ancient subdivision (ahupuaa) in the Hilo District of the Big Island of Hawaii and an early settlement on Hilo Bay.
The name comes from wai ÃÂkea in the Hawaiian Language meaning "broad waters", and sometimes what is now called Hilo Bay was called WaiÃÂkea Bay. WaiÃÂkea is home to many and has its own schools. It stretches for miles and ends at WaiÃÂkea-Uka (the area on the slopes of Mauna Loa). WaiÃÂkea-Uka houses many expensive houses, including a Swiss chateau. There are also some cattle farms in WaiÃÂkea-Uka, and a state forest reserve.
There are four schools located in the WaiÃÂkea complex: Waiakeawaena Elementary School, Waiakea Elementary School, Waiakea Intermediate School, and Waiakea High School.
WaiÃÂkea Stream flows from the slopes of Mauna Loa at into WaiÃÂkea Pond at an elevation of only at .
When William Ellis visited in 1823, WaiÃÂkea was the main settlement on Hilo Bay. The WaiÃÂkea Mission (now called Haili Church) was the first church in eastern Hawaii island, founded in 1824. Several eruptions of Mauna Loa (the most recent in 1984) have threatened the area. Tsunamis devastated WaiÃÂkea-Kai (along the coast), with the largest in 1946 and 1960. A clock found in the rubble set to the exact time when it stopped in 1960 serves as a memorial.