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Short answer: The Hawaii Belt Road is a real loop: about 220 miles, or 6 to 7 hours non-stop. With stops, plan on a full day or split it over two.
How long does it take to drive around the Big Island? Unlike Maui, Oahu, and Kauai, the Big Island actually has a complete loop road, but it’s a much bigger island, so “complete” doesn’t mean quick.
The straight answer
The Hawaii Belt Road forms a real loop: Highway 11 runs about 125 miles around the south side between Hilo and Kailua-Kona, and Highway 19 covers about 98 miles around the north. Combined, that’s roughly 220 miles, taking about 6 to 7 hours non-stop, and this is the one Hawaiian island where that loop is actually driveable start to finish in a standard rental, no agreement exclusions on the route itself.
Booking a car for the Big Island? Check prices for your dates before you land.
The shortcut that changes the math: Saddle Road
Saddle Road (Highway 200) cuts across the island’s middle between Hilo and Kailua-Kona directly, about 82 miles from Kona to Hilo that way (the highway itself is about 53 miles) and roughly 1.5 to 2 hours, faster than either the north or south leg of the full loop. For years, most rental companies banned Saddle Road outright due to its condition; that ban has mostly been dropped since the road was rebuilt, though outdated warnings about it are still common online. See the Saddle Road rental car guide for what’s actually allowed today before you rely on it to save time.
How to actually plan your rental days around this
- Full Belt Road loop: realistically a 2 to 3 day drive once you factor in Hilo, Kona, Volcanoes National Park, and the black sand beaches along the way, not a single-day trip on an island this size.
- Using Saddle Road as a shortcut between Hilo and Kona? Check your specific rental agreement first, not just general advice you find online. Policies still vary by company.
- Detours off the main loop like Mauna Kea and Waipio Valley have their own separate rental restrictions beyond the road itself. Check those guides before you detour.
Not sure you need a rental at all? See whether you actually need a rental car on the Big Island: this is the island where the answer is least debatable.
Picking up at the airport first? The Kona Airport rental car guide covers what happens between landing and getting on the road.
Check current conditions and closures on Hawaii DOT’s Hawaii Island lane closures page before heading out.
Planning beach time on the Kona side? Magic Sands Beach Park is one of the busiest small-lot stops on Ali’i Drive.
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Photo: Daniel Torobekov on Pexels.
Researched and written by Neo Pecorro. Facts on this page were checked against Hawaii DOT, plus the other sources linked above. Hawaii rules change often, so confirm on the official page before you go.
Last updated: September 11, 2026.