Driving choices: roads to cross the island

Many people choose to see both sides of the Big Island, the dry, leeward Kona side that is filled with lava rock, and the green, tropical, windward Hilo side. This is a great idea since you will have a lot of variety in your vacation! To get between the two, you have a choice of three scenic roads.

To get directly from Kona or the Kohala Coast to Hilo, the fastest (but not necessarily the best) choice is Saddle Road (shown in photo above), Highway 200. It takes one and a half hours. This is a weird road that is called "saddle" because it goes way up in elevation to 6,600 feet and then back down. Kids won't like the way their ears pop and you might get some crying. Because of its high elevation the road is often foggy and has low visibility. The landscape here is otherworldly and interesting. Halfway across, if you have kids, stop at the Gilbert Kahele Recreation Area where they can play on a space age playground. To get to the Saddle Road from Kona, I prefer to take Highway 19. It is straight and has a center divider. Highway 190, the upper road, is winding and feels dangerous because there is no center divider.
The best choice for getting across the island is the road that goes through Waimea town (also called Kamuela town), Highway 19. It takes two hours and fifteen minutes. Highway 19 goes all the way from Kona, along the Kohala Coast, then through Waimea town, and along the Hamakua Coast to Hilo. It's an incredibly beautiful and varied drive. From Kona along the Kohala Coast you will see lava rock, delightful huge patches of bougainvillea, and amazing beaches (Kua Bay, Mauna Kea Hotel Beach, Hilton Waikaloa, and 69 Beach). The road then turns inland after Kawaihae Harbor, and you start an ascent into the higher elevation town of Waimea. In Waimea it's almost always overcast and raining a fine mist. That's why it's kermit frog green! It is a sudden change from the dry, sunny coast you just came from! Stop at Anuenue Park to see the lovely green hills and let your kids play on the awesome colorful playground. A meal at Big Island Brewhaus is fun. There is also a bakery and a shave ice place. Stop and see the adorable churches near the main highway. The "piece de resistance" of your drive is next, the Hamakua Coast. 
Your third choice for driving across the island is the longest drive, Highway 11, which hugs the southern coast of the island. This drive takes three hours. You could stop at Magic Sands Beach on the way, to admire the powerful shorebreak. Saint Benedict Catholic Church is a painted church that is a detour along the way. It is quite a detour because of its winding road, but is a wonderful place to visit, high up over the sea, and I adored it. Highway 11 takes you past some lovely snorkeling areas such as Place of Refuge, which also has Hawaiian history. It takes you past beautiful but crowded Punalu'u Black Sand Beach. Skip South Point and Kealakekua Bay if you don't have time because they involve extra driving.  Drive past interesting layered lava flows from different decades- there is a scenic lookout where you can read about the lava flows on plaques and see the different colors of the flows. This road passes Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Lava Tree State Park. The fun thing about this road is that you are driving over some spots where the 2018 lava flow cracked the road (though it's not apparent anymore). Nonetheless, I'm not entirely sure it's worth it to take this long road but if you've already seen the road through Waimea, want a change of scene, want to drive past a recent lava flow, and enjoy long drives, it might be worth it.

Directions

The red tab is on saddle road, Highway 200, the fastest way across the island.
Highway 19, through Waimea, is my preferred and most scenic way.
Highway 11, along the south coast, is the longest way.

Click on map for interactive view