Shipping a car from Hawaii to Florida

A paradise lost, for another ..

If paradise had a name, then it certainly would be called Hawaii. The island archipelago is the only state located outside North America, nearly 2.000 miles into the Pacific Ocean. Many see this is as a major positive, but it certainly has its disadvantages.

Geography and population

Composed 137 volcanic islands, Hawaii is the eighth-smallest in area and the 11th-least populous, but the 13th-most densely populated, with 1.4 million residents. Most of them live on the island of Oʻahu and its capital Honolulu. Hawaii is one of the few US states that have previously been a nation.

Economy

Hawaii made a successful transition from plantation-based economy to a global tourist attraction. Still, agriculture plays a major part in the state’s economics. Hawaii is one of the biggest exporters of honey, pineapples, and sugarcane. The largest employers in the state are Altres Industrial, Kapiolani Medical Ctr, and Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.

In 2019 Hawaii was visited by more than 10 million tourists. That number dropped to around 2.7 million during the COVID – 19 pandemic in 2020, but is expected to increase once more in 2021 and beyond.

Education

Hawaii fields several universities, with the majority of the being located in Honolulu. The largest one is The University of Hawaiʻi system and is estimated to have just above 50.000 students. Other universities include Honolulu Community College, Kapiʻolani Community College, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Chaminade University, and Hawaiʻi Pacific University.

Hawaii is also the home of The Pacific forum, one of the largest Asia – Pacific policy research institutes in the world, as well as the East–West Center, and the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies.

Sports

Due to its distant proximity to the US mainland, Hawaii has no professional sports teams. However, fitness and powerlifting flourish! The island state is home to the Great Aloha Run, Honolulu Marathon, and the Honolulu Triathlon. Ironman Hawaiʻi was first held in Honolulu, too! In 2004 Men’s Fitness magazine proclaimed Honolulu the fittest city in the United States. And when you go to the beach you can be certain that this hasn’t changed.

Parks and recreation

The whole state of Hawaii is very close to nature. There are several state parks and protected areas that are serve as main attraction centers for tourists. The largest and most popular ones include Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site, and Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail.

Disadvantages

Living so far away from the continent is a huge disadvantage on its own. Nature also has laid down its traps in the form of huge ocean waves, dangerous currents, reef cuts, as well as box jellyfishes and Portuguese Man-of-War. The bugs can be a problem, too.

The entire geography of Hawaii and Honolulu leads to a rather heavy traffic and a lot of traffic jams. Last but not least, the climate that so many love can turn out to be a problem. The weather is always hot and humid, and you virtually have one season.

Hawaiians pay the highest taxes per person in the US. Also, tourists pay general excise tax and hotel room tax.

Miami and Honolulu head to head

These two beach heavens are very different. Miami is larger by nearly 100k residents (450 to 350 thousand). Median income, utilities, and average home price are double in the Hawaiian capital. Housing and groceries are pricier, too. Transportation price and commute time are higher in Miami.

Florida

Florida’s long coastline (actually the longest coastline in the United States), emerald waters, endless beach parties and quiet retreats can attract almost anyone from teenagers to elders. But Florida is not only a tropical climate, parties, celebrities and hot people.

Florida has a large population. The state capital is Tallahassee, the largest city is Jacksonville, but the largest metro is the Miami metropolitan area. Therefore, the country has many points of interest

Economics

Florida a giant cannot be exaggerated. The state has a population of 21 million and the total economy is estimated at $1.0 trillion-ranking fourth in the United States. The largest employment sectors are trade, transportation and utilities. Government; professional and commercial services; education and health services; and leisure and hospitality. Many coastal cities include some of the wealthiest per capita areas in the United States.

Tourism

We can write books about what to do in Florida. The tourism industry has provided employment opportunities for 1.4 million people. In addition to countless beaches, Florida also has several eye-catching amusement parks, such as Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Orlando, Sea World Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, water parks and golf courses.

Miami

Miami is the center of the state’s largest metropolitan area. It ranks seventh in the United States and consists of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, West Palm Beach, Hialeah, Hollywood and Boca Raton.

Kennedy Space Center

Also known as NASA Launch Operations Center, it is one of the main launch centers for human spaceflight. This is the launch site for the Apollo, Skylab, and Space Shuttle programs, next to the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Kennedy Space Center has more than 700 facilities and gathers aerospace experts from all over the world!

Education

There are 12 universities in Florida, 4 of which have an enrollment rate of more than 50.000. They are University of Central Florida, Florida International University, University of Florida and University of South Florida.

Sports

As you might expect, there are plenty of entertainment venues, including sports. The state has three NFL teams, two NBA teams, two MLS teams and two MLB teams. NASCAR is headquartered in Daytona Beach, while the American Association of Professional Golfers is located in Palm Beach.

Disadvantages

Given all its advantages, before moving to Florida, make sure you should consider some serious disadvantages.

Remember: hurricanes and extreme heat and humidity can have an impact.

The state is very flat, without mountains and valleys.

Compared with other states, there are more tourists and part-time residents.

The insurance cost you have to pay is higher than in other parts of the country.

Florida has bigger bugs, many snakes and crocodiles.