Hawaii has 6 active volcanoes, and several dozen volcanoes in total if you include dormant and extinct ones across all the islands.

Quick Scoop: How Many Volcanoes Are in Hawaii?

Active volcanoes right now

Most people asking “how many volcanoes are in Hawaii” are really wondering how many are still active. According to the U.S. Geological Survey and recent travel guides, Hawaii currently has 6 active volcanoes.

  • On HawaiÊ»i Island (Big Island):
    • KÄ«lauea – one of the most active volcanoes on Earth.
* Mauna Loa – the largest subaerial volcano on the planet.

* Hualālai – active but erupts less frequently.

* Mauna Kea – geologically active but currently classified as dormant (sometimes grouped with active volcanoes in broader counts).
  • On Maui:
    • Haleakalā – considered an active volcano, last erupting a few hundred years ago.
  • Offshore seamount:
    • KamaÊ»ehuakanaloa (formerly LĆÊ»ihi) – a submarine volcano southeast of the Big Island, still growing on the ocean floor.

Some tourism and adventure sites phrase this as “five main active volcanoes on the islands, plus one underwater,” which is why you may see both “5” and “6” in forum discussions.

Total number of volcanoes in Hawaii

If you zoom out from “currently active” to all the volcanoes that built the Hawaiian Islands, the number jumps from a handful to many.

  • Each main island is made of one or more shield volcanoes that once erupted from the seafloor.
  • The Big Island alone was formed by 6 major volcanoes (Kohala, Mauna Kea, Hualālai, Mauna Loa, KÄ«lauea, plus the now-submerged Māhukona).
  • Across the full Hawaiian archipelago (from the Big Island up through KauaÊ»i and beyond), there are dozens of identified volcanoes and seamounts in the Hawaiian–Emperor chain.

Because geologists count not only the familiar above-sea peaks but also deeply eroded remnants and fully submerged seamounts, there isn’t a single “official” total that everyone quotes in casual articles or forums.

Why different answers appear in news & forums

On travel blogs, Reddit-style forums, and Q&A sites, people often answer this question differently depending on what they’re counting.

Common patterns you’ll see:

  • “5 volcanoes” – usually the main active ones people visit on land (often not including the underwater seamount).
  • “6 active volcanoes” – the current scientific count including the submarine KamaÊ»ehuakanaloa.
  • “Dozens of volcanoes” – when someone is talking about all of the shield volcanoes and seamounts that built the Hawaiian–Emperor chain over tens of millions of years.

This mix of perspectives is exactly what fuels ongoing forum and “trending topic” debates about “how many volcanoes are in Hawaii” right now versus in deep time.

Mini takeaway for travelers and readers

If you’re reading the latest travel pieces or news-style features about Hawaii’s volcanoes in 2024–2025, the focus is almost always on those 5–6 active giants and their recent eruption behavior, visitor safety, and viewing opportunities. For a geology or science context, though, Hawaii is part of a much longer volcanic chain with many more extinct and submerged volcanoes stretching far across the Pacific.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.