Kailua (pronounced /kaɪˈluːə/) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States. It lies in the Koʻolaupoko District of Oʻahu on the windward coast at Kailua Bay. It is in the judicial district and the ahupua'a named Ko'olaupoko. It is 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Honolulu - over Nu‘uanu Pali. The population was 36,513 at the 2000 census.

In the Hawaiian language Kailua means "two seas," or "two currents," a contraction of the words kai (meaning sea or sea water) and ʻelua (meaning two); it is so named because of the two lagoons in the district or the two currents which run through Kailua Bay.

Kailua is primarily a residential community, with a centralized commercial district along Kailua Road. It has a compact, easy-to-shop business district surrounded by mostly single-family homes. By 1992, 50,000 residents encompassed a central urban core with surrounding residential areas.^[1]

Places of note in Kailua include Kailua Beach Park, Lanikai Beach, Kawai Nui Marsh, and Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kailua,_Honolulu_County,_Hawaii