Nalu guide · Oʻahu

Mililani and Central Oʻahu to town: bus, rail or drive

From Mililani, you can drive H-2 and H-1 into town, ride Route 52 or Route 51 from Mililani Transit Center, or catch a weekday express bus such as the 84, 84A or 98. Skyline has no Mililani station, so rail trips start with a bus or a drop-off at Waiawa (Pearl Highlands).

Last updated: October 2026

Buses from Mililani to downtown

Scheduled times are from TheBus's official timetable. They do not include waiting, and traffic can change them.

Mililani to downtown by bus (timetable, October 2026)
Route	When it runs	Scheduled ride
52 Honolulu–Mililani–Haleʻiwa	Every day; about every 30 minutes on weekdays, about every 40 minutes on Sundays	About 47 to 56 minutes from Mililani Transit Center to King and Alakea streets, weekday mornings
51 Honolulu–Wahiawa	Every day, into the night	About 1 hr 10 min to 1 hr 20 min to downtown; stops near Waiawa (Pearl Highlands) station on the way
84, 84A, 98, 98A express	Weekdays only; a few early-morning trips to downtown, afternoon trips back	About 55 to 65 minutes end to end

Also on weekdays: Route 99 links Wahiawa, Mililani, Waipahu and Kapolei, and the PH2 express runs between Mililani and Pearl Harbor. Since August 23, 2026, the Pearl Harbor express routes use the Makalapa Gate because the Hālawa Gate closed.

Using Skyline from Central Oʻahu

Waiawa (Pearl Highlands): Route 51 from Mililani Transit Center stops near the station, about 21 to 24 minutes away. There is no park-and-ride here.
From Waiawa by train: about 14 minutes to the airport, 18 minutes to Āhua (Lagoon Drive) and 20 minutes to Kahauiki (Kalihi Transit Center).
Into downtown: transfer at Āhua to the A Line along King Street, or at Kahauiki to Route 2 and others.

Rail tends to help most when you are going somewhere along the line, such as Pearlridge, the airport or Kalihi. For downtown, compare it with Route 52 or an express bus.

Driving H-2 and H-1

Driving from Mililani means H-2 south and then H-1 east. Outside rush hour it is usually the quickest way into town. On weekday mornings traffic toward town can be heavy, and the delay changes from day to day.

Nalu uses TomTom live traffic for the drive and shows planned HDOT lane closures on your route, then compares that with the bus and rail options for the same trip.

Choosing on a given day

If an express bus fits your hours, it avoids parking downtown. If not, Route 52 and driving are the main choices for downtown, and Route 51 plus Skyline is worth comparing for trips along the rail line. Nalu checks them all for your exact trip and tells you which is faster right now and when to leave. Current timetables are on thebus.org.

Get the live answer for your trip

Nalu checks live traffic and TheBus and Skyline timetables for your exact trip, then tells you whether to drive or ride and when to leave. Free, no account needed.

Open Nalu for your live answer

Common questions

Is there a Skyline station in Mililani?

No. The nearest stations are Waiawa (Pearl Highlands) and Kalauao (Pearlridge). Route 51 from Mililani Transit Center stops near Waiawa station, about 21 to 24 minutes away in the timetable.

Which bus goes from Mililani to downtown Honolulu?

Route 52 is the more direct all-day bus, scheduled at about 47 to 56 minutes from Mililani Transit Center to King and Alakea streets on weekday mornings. Route 51 also goes downtown but takes longer. On weekdays, express Routes 84, 84A, 98 and 98A make a few morning trips to downtown and return in the afternoon.

Do the Mililani express buses run on weekends?

No. Routes 84, 84A, 98, 98A and the PH2 Pearl Harbor express run on weekdays only. Routes 51 and 52 run every day.

Where can I park for Skyline from Mililani?

The city's free park-and-ride lots are at Keoneʻae (UH West Oʻahu), Honouliuli (Hoʻopili) and Hālawa (Aloha Stadium). There is no park-and-ride at Waiawa (Pearl Highlands), so from Mililani a bus or a drop-off to Waiawa is usually simpler.