Hamilton Urban Area

Hamilton Urban Area
Urban area
Hamilton Urban Area within the Waikato region
Country	New Zealand
Island	North Island
Region	Waikato
Population  (June 2018)
• Territorial	241,200
Time zone	UTC+12 (NZST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (NZDT)
Local iwi	Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Raukawa, Tainui

The Hamilton Urban Area is a New Zealand urban area in the Waikato region. It is the fourth-largest urban area in the country with a population of 241,200. At its centre is Hamilton City, New Zealand's fourth-largest territorial authority. While rural land separates Hamilton from many of the nearby towns, there is significant economic and social integration between the towns and Hamilton.

Like the urban areas of Auckland, Napier-Hastings and Wellington, the Hamilton urban area is subdivided into urban zones. The urban area contains around half the population of the Waikato Region.

Hamilton Urban Zone

Hamilton Urban Zone, with a population of 203,100, includes Hamilton City, the towns of Ngāruawāhia, Taupiri, Horotiu, Gordonton, Ohaupo, Ngāhinapōuri, Te Kowhai, Whatawhata, Matangi, Tauwhare, Rukuhia and the surrounding rural outskirts. While outside the city limits of Hamilton City, there are many lifestyle blocks in the rural land surrounding the city, primarily in Tamahere, Matangi, Horsham Downs and Rototuna.

Cambridge Urban Zone

Cambridge Urban Zone, with a population of 20,600, includes the town of Cambridge and rural area to the north and west.

Te Awamutu Urban Zone

Te Awamutu Urban Zone, with a population of 17,500, includes the towns of Te Awamutu and Kihikihi and the surrounding rural area.

Future

The Statistical Standard of Geographic Areas 2018, developed by Statistics New Zealand, will see Hamilton abolished as a statistical urban area. It will be replaced by five separate urban areas: Hamilton, Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Ngāruawāhia and Kihikihi.