Kauai, known as the 'Garden Isle', is the 4th largest island in the state of Hawaii and is the 21st largest island in the United States. It is also the oldest main island in the state. The meaning behind the city's name is unknown, although it is attributed to Hawai'iloa who is known for having discovered the Hawaiian Islands. He is said to have named Kauai after a favorite son. The island is known for having a volcanic origin.

Tourism is Kauai's largest industry. It is estimated the over 80% of Kauai's visitors come from the United States. The other tourist majority come from Japan. The Japanese encompasses 3% of the city's tourist population. The island is also known for its fruits and crops such as guava, sugarcane and pineapple.

The food industry is the largest provider of jobs in the island, followed by the government and retail. Agriculture takes approximately 2.9% of Kauai's economy. Educational sectors provide 0.7% of the jobs in the city. The city's income largely comes from tourism. Small businesses are also prominent in Kauai with over 87% of small non-farm business having 20 employees or less. Sugar plantations used to be Kauai's biggest farm industry, but most are now used as ranching land.