Makawao is a census-designated place in Maui County, Hawaiʻi, United States. The population was 7,297 at the 2020 census. Located on the rural northwest slope of Haleakalā, the community is known for being the hub of Upcountry Maui, a part of the island dominated by mostly agriculture and ranch land. Makawao Forest Reserve is to the east-northeast.