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Downtown Honolulu is the current and historic central part of Honolulu—bounded by Nuʻuanu Stream to the west, Ward Avenue to the east, Vineyard Boulevard to the north, and Honolulu Harbor to the south—situated within the larger Honolulu District. In downtown Honolulu are found both modern and historic buildings and complexes, many of the latter declared National Historic Landmarks on the National Register of Historic Places.

Aliʻiōlani Hale, home of the Hawaiʻi State Supreme Court with the statue of Kamehameha the Great, Capitol District

Downtown Honolulu can be subdivided into four neighborhoods, each with its own central focus and mix of buildings. These areas are the Capitol District, the Central Business District, Chinatown, and the waterfront.

The Capitol District, or Civic Center, contains most of the federal, state, and city governmental buildings and is centered on the Hawaiʻi State Capitol, ʻIolani Palace, and Honolulu Hale (city hall). It is roughly bounded by Richards Street on the west, Ward Avenue on the east, Vineyard Boulevard to the north, and Nimitz Highway to the south. Significant buildings in this area include:

• Advertiser Building
• Aliʻiōlani Hale
• Bishop Estate Building
• Frank F. Fasi Municipal Building
• Hawaiʻi State Capitol
• Hawaiʻi State Library
• Honolulu Hale
• Honolulu Police Station
• ʻIolani Barracks
• ʻIolani Palace
• Kakaʻako Fire Station
• Kamehameha V Post Office
• Kawaiahaʻo Church
• Leiopapa a Kamehameha Building
• Prince Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Building
• Territorial Building
• Washington Place

Centered on Bishop Street and Fort Street Mall, the central business district is roughly bounded by Nuʻuanu Avenue, Nimitz Highway, Richards Street, and Vineyard Boulevard. This area contains most of the headquarters buildings of Hawaiʻi-based companies and most of the skyscrapers. Buildings in this area include:

• Alexander & Baldwin Building
• Armstrong Building
• Army and Navy YMCA
• Bishop Bank Building
• Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew
• Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace
• C. Brewer Building
• Central Fire Station
• Dillingham Transportation Building
• First Hawaiian Center
• Fort Street Mall
• Hawaiʻi Pacific University
• Hawaiian Electric Building
• Judd Building
• Keōua Hale
• McCandless Building
• Melchers Building
• Oʻahu Railway and Land Terminal
• Royal Brewery
• Stangenwald Building
• Theo H. Davies Building
• Yokohama Specie Bank
• YWCA Building

Located between Nuʻuanu Stream and Nuʻuanu Avenue, Honolulu's Chinatown at one time was the center of Chinese cultural contact on the island. Central to this area is the open-air Oʻahu Market. The area around Nuʻuanu Avenue has become a center for the arts in recent years, thanks to the recent renovation of the Hawaiʻi Theatre. Buildings in this area include:

• Hawaiʻi Theatre
• Lum Yip Kee Building
• Mission Memorial Building
• Nippu Jiji Building
• Oʻahu Market
• Wo Fat Building

Honolulu's waterfront area centers on Aloha Tower, which was once the tallest building in Hawaiʻi and the site where cruise ships would dock before the advent of air travel between Hawaiʻi and the U.S. Mainland. Recently, cruise ships between the Hawaiian Islands now dock at Honolulu Harbor. Buildings in this area include:

• Aloha Tower
• Falls of Clyde
• Hawaiʻi Maritime Center
• Honolulu Foreign Trade Zone