Kauai is the oldest of Hawaiian island, the Big Island is the youngest.The Hawaiian archipelago originates from the slow northwestward movement of the Pacific Plate’s middle section over a volcanic hot spot. Islands are formed under the ocean and pushed towards the northwest over a period of thousands and millions of years. Kauai, located furthest from the hotspot, is estimated to be over 5 million years old. The oldest parts of the Big Island, located closest to the hot spot and therefore the youngest of Hawaiian islands, were formed about between 0.5 and 1 million years old.