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100 Biggest Cities in New Zealand with a Map

Can you name the 100 biggest towns and cities in New Zealand with the help of a map?
Source: citypopulation.de, with modifications. See comments
urban area population, 2022 estimates
use the zoom!
Quiz by Gassu
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Featured Quiz
Last updated: April 21, 2023
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First submittedSeptember 10, 2019
Times taken17,039
Average score23.0%
Rating4.46
Quiz and answer stats >>
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Population
City / Town
1,523,940
Auckland
403,200
Christchurch
212,000
Wellington
191,290
Hamilton
162,950
Tauranga
118,980
Dunedin
111,500
Lower Hutt
85,550
Palmerston North
70,820
Hastings
70,240
Nelson
67,270
Napier
63,080
Rotorua
60,220
New Plymouth
60,200
Porirua
56,640
Whangārei
49,800
Invercargill
45,930
Kapiti
44,800
Upper Hutt
42,600
Whanganui
37,700
Gisborne
33,700
Pukekohe
33,350
Blenheim
28,600
Timaru
28,000
Rolleston
27,240
Taupō
23,920
Queenstown
22,400
Masterton
21,600
Cambridge
20,800
Levin
20,600
Ashburton
19,990
Whakatāne
19,700
Rangiora
17,800
Feilding
16,850
Te Awamutu
Population
City / Town
14,500
Tokoroa
13,900
Oamaru
12,150
Wānaka
11,750
Hāwera
10,250
Te Puke
9,940
Gore
9,720
Waiuku
9,560
Greymouth
9,180
Lincoln
9,170
Motueka
9,000
Huntly
8,750
Waiheke
8,700
Matamata
8,520
Morrinsville
8,260
Kerikeri
7,760
Kawerau
7,680
Thames
7,310
Waitara
7,160
Ōtaki
7,030
Woodend
7,010
Cromwell
6,610
Warkworth
6,420
Whitianga
6,340
Kaitāia
6,130
Stratford
6,090
Alexandra
5,930
Carterton
5,820
Waihī
5,770
One Tree Point
5,650
Dannevirke
5,570
Marton
5,540
Foxton
5,530
Katikati
Population
City / Town
5,500
Snells Beach
5,350
Ōpōtiki
5,240
Dargaville
5,060
Pōkeno
4,960
Wairoa
4,900
Kaikohe
4,840
Taumarunui
4,800
Picton
4,730
Waipukurau
4,670
Te Aroha
4,670
Te Kūiti
4,660
Temuka
4,630
Paeroa
4,630
Westport
4,610
Putāruru
4,540
Whangamatā
4,450
Helensville
4,300
Balclutha
4,000
Mangawhai Heads
3,830
Inglewood
3,820
Raglan
3,810
Tūrangi
3,660
Waihī Beach
3,600
Waimate
3,570
Kawakawa
3,310
Ōtorohanga
3,150
Hokitika
3,120
Darfield
3,090
Arrowtown
2,970
Paihia
2,970
Te Ānau
2,820
Geraldine
2,810
Pahiatua
Gassu
+8
Level 70
Apr 20, 2023
Regarding modifications:

I am not a big fan of labelling satellite communities with suburban character such as Beachlands, Ngongotahā, or Richmond as separate *urban areas* as Stats New Zealand (and cp.de) does.

Instead, I've decided to use the Urban Area 2014 definition.

Thus - and in consistence with the old version of this quiz - any urban area by cp.de standards within urban areas according to abovementioned definition will not appear in this quiz. (You can still find them listed under answer statistics.)

Additionally, small urban areas in very close proximity to each other (e.g. Kawakawa and Moerewa, 5km) have been grouped into one area.

Jiaozira
+13
Level 70
Sep 11, 2019
I liked the legend, neat addition!
Stewart
+13
Level 68
Sep 11, 2019
Fantastic looking map - great work!
IsleAuHaulte
+39
Level 89
Sep 16, 2019
No.

To answer the question in the heading, no, not even remotely.

IsleAuHaulte
+8
Level 89
Sep 17, 2019
For that matter how on Earth outside New Zealand is the average score 27?
Phrath
+2
Level 33
Oct 16, 2019
Well Well 4 more down

19 to go

schnuederlue
+5
Level 68
Jan 23, 2020
Easy thing. You just play to get 5 points on each featured quiz, so you cheat. My aim was to get at least 1 pinot with the Top 3... achieved ;-)
Xenobiologista
+3
Level 59
Oct 27, 2020
I mean, I got 15, having done so many other quizzes that I've heard of some cities there from missing them.
Djilas
+2
Level 82
Sep 16, 2019
Great work!
Jealous1sEnvy
+1
Level 88
Sep 16, 2019
An average score of 24, wow :P
TenThousand
+2
Level 76
Sep 16, 2019
Really, really good. I didn't get Lincoln and Winton :(
DrWatson
+1
Level 72
Sep 17, 2019
I wonder how much of the world's awareness of Rotorua is due to Steven Adams.
Bengydogy
+8
Level 37
Mar 21, 2020
Probably not much as the city is already a tourist attraction for its hot pools.
Jiaozira
+1
Level 70
Apr 21, 2023
It's known as a Maori cultural capital too (which is how I remember it from Canada anyways).
Tramp
+18
Level 76
Sep 17, 2019
3/100. Bet you can't guess which ones I got.
sillie
+11
Level 77
Sep 17, 2019
Probably the same three I did?
TenThousand
+4
Level 76
Sep 18, 2019
If it includes Auckland, my home, then good on ya! Do come over for a visit (especially during our January/February summer) and see how many of the other 97 you can visit (and crucially for points here, remember).
KiwiQuizWhiz
+1
Level 39
Aug 11, 2020
How 'bout Christchurch??
GlassMonkeyCode
+2
Level 67
May 20, 2023
There's a lot of modern glass/steel buildings, all 7 storeys tall. A few relics from the 19th century, but they're restored post earthquake. It's a car city and not pedestrian friendly, Wellington is much nicer.
TurkeyCookTime
+8
Level 76
Dec 7, 2019
Were they Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch?
rphxx
+4
Level 71
Sep 18, 2019
3/100
TenThousand
+2
Level 76
Sep 19, 2019
Spelling: Whanganui. Technically both spellings remain acceptable, but in 2015 Land Information NZ announced that Wanganui District Council (and therefore also the urban area) would be renamed to Whanganui District Council. Government agencies all now use the Whanganui spelling, as do newspapers, weather forecasts etc etc. The only group I can still see using the old spelling is the Wanganui Rugby Union.
DrunkytheSnowman
+5
Level 56
Oct 26, 2021
Yeah but it's New Zealand where Rugby Union is considered a greater authority than the government and news so how they spell it is essentially law
McKenzieFam
+1
Level 63
May 23, 2023
@jerry and road signs in the area
Phoenixgirl88
+9
Level 29
Sep 24, 2019
To call them 'cities' is going a bit far I reckon...
mez
+2
Level 71
Apr 23, 2023
I have taught in school bigger than these 'cities' lol
rocamorar
+4
Level 78
Sep 26, 2019
It should have included Hobbiton...
fapsauce
+4
Level 45
May 20, 2023
They did… it’s called Matamata
Anderis
+5
Level 69
Oct 4, 2019
How is it possible that every single of those tiny cities has been guessed by over 10% of test takers?
GreenFriday
+8
Level 85
Oct 16, 2019
A lot of Kiwis on this site?
Kiwigeokid2007
+5
Level 64
Oct 11, 2021
There actually are,

You see a lot of users with the word 'kiwi' in their name, like mine.

Popular users like kiwiquizzer, kiwirage, Jerry, are all from New Zealand.

McKenzieFam
+1
Level 63
May 23, 2023
and me!
Phrath
+2
Level 33
Oct 16, 2019
2/100

Got one as capital of new zealand

and the other as the city in which the 2018 Cricket Under 19 World Cup was held

diamadi
+1
Level 52
Oct 16, 2019
Oh this is crazy tough. That said though, there are not many quizzes where I can guess a whopping 6 out of 100 and get 2 points!
Neodymium
+1
Level 59
May 24, 2023
And not many where you also need 92% to get 5
dug28
+2
Level 84
Oct 16, 2019
I got the top three, plus Matamata, which I remembered because of the special features on the Lord of the Rings dvd's. Nice that 4/100 was good for one point!
McKenzieFam
+1
Level 63
Apr 3, 2020
True, but I got 5 points for 100/100! About to hit level 38.
McKenzieFam
+1
Level 63
Oct 11, 2020
Wow! That was a long time ago.
lazydaisee
+1
Level 44
Oct 16, 2019
not an official list of cities. For example Wellington consists of at least 4 separate cities each large enough to be on the list independently?
blizzrd33
+3
Level 79
Oct 23, 2019
Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt are suburbs of Wellington and don't get counted separately for the purposes of urban area population. The local governments of these suburbs calls themselves a 'city' but outside of Wellington neither is usually considered to be a city in their own right.
Rogerw1nz
+1
Level 28
Dec 4, 2023
Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt & Porirua are cities in their own right. Wellington city does not include these although they are part of Wellington region.
kiwikiwiNZ
+2
Level 40
Oct 26, 2019
why does dunedin count mosgiel? also what about milton?
kiwiquizzer
+3
Level 68
Nov 2, 2019
I only got 75. Very disappointed in myself. Should have got them all! (maybe 5 I wouldn't have got).
kiwiquizzer
+1
Level 68
Apr 21, 2023
89 this time. Should have got about 7 more.
JB89
+1
Level 29
Feb 5, 2020
I got 8, and that’s somehow in the upper half 😆 Looks like nobody knows much about New Zealand, or there aren’t 100 places in NZ that can fairly be called “cities”.
KiwiQuizWhiz
+2
Level 39
Aug 11, 2020
-Coughs- Excuse me, people who LIVE in New Zealand (Like myself) should get at least 90..
dogmeat
+1
Level 67
Mar 10, 2020
so got 70 - ran out of time but managed to not get Auckland!!!
DonTheLamplighter
+1
Level 84
Mar 20, 2020
Another member of the NZ-3 club here.

You could've timed this one with a calendar, and I probably wouldn't have hit 4. I would, however, like to shake the hand (non-contact, of course..COVID-19 and all) of whoever got Ngāruawāhia.

McKenzieFam
+2
Level 63
Apr 3, 2020
That's me! I couldn't have gotten 100% without getting Ngaruawahia! Virtual non-corona handshake coming up.

🤝 Man! That's tiny! These emoticons.....

kiwiquizzer
+3
Level 68
Jun 12, 2021
Shake my hand, bro.
Tomtrific
+1
Level 82
Apr 16, 2020
Woo hoo, got four.
pedrotferreira
+1
Level 43
May 5, 2020
I only knew Auckland and Wellington :-)
Smarterthantheaverage
+1
Level 59
May 11, 2020
Great quiz! HOWEVER... yes I'm gonna be THAT person... but I really don't think you can accept Palmerston for Palmerston North, as they are two very separate, distinct places.
kiwiquizzer
+1
Level 68
Jun 12, 2021
True.
peardestroyer
+1
Level 57
May 25, 2020
Gassu, I really like your "format" of SVG quizzes - the map border, the legend, even how the dots look. Really good quiz!
TenThousand
+2
Level 76
Aug 5, 2020
I think you gave Nelson a dot for a 100,000-500,000 city!
KingEureka
+1
Level 62
Aug 11, 2020
14/100, thanks to the cricket!
Devvik2
+1
Level 70
Mar 3, 2021
I got 3 and got 1 point for it even though the average is 22 :)
ooftownroad
+6
Level 61
Mar 30, 2022
only OGs tried Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu
bentshaggyoil
+2
Level 59
Oct 22, 2022
Only got Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Hamilton.
GlassMonkeyCode
+1
Level 67
May 20, 2023
Not Bunnythorpe?
lubi
+1
Level 76
Apr 21, 2023
Come oooon, I beat 70% of quiz takers, and I get 0 points??
Maxibon
+1
Level 65
May 20, 2023
I never even knew there were 100 cities in New Zealand!
Photop
+2
Level 70
May 20, 2023
14% on the least answered city / town... Are 14% of the quiz-takers from New Zealand?
Kiwigeokid2007
+1
Level 64
May 20, 2023
Yes quite possibly… there are plenty of Kiwis on this site, and I’m sure all of them would’ve attempted this at some point
satyre
+1
Level 60
May 20, 2023
Seriously?
kiwiquizzer
+1
Level 68
May 22, 2023
Deadly
footygenius
+1
Level 71
May 20, 2023
In the end I just started typing British town names and got about 6 extra points, haha
Neodymium
+1
Level 59
May 24, 2023
extra points???
Fid
+1
Level 34
Jun 3, 2023
Answers I believe they mean
GlassMonkeyCode
+1
Level 67
May 20, 2023
I got Lincoln, Pegasus, Rolleston, Rangiora, and Darfield. And I have never ever been born in Kiwiland! What's the captial, Auckland? I didn't get that though.
McKenzieFam
+1
Level 63
May 23, 2023
detecting sarcasm there
Neodymium
+1
Level 59
May 23, 2023
Points Score needed

1 3

2 6

3 9

4 23

5 94

Truly perfection

Thisisreal
+1
Level 87
Apr 8, 2024
I’ve got 9 for 2 points and happy.

It’s hilarious that there are biggest cities extreme quizzes only for the top 3 most populated countries in the world, the big-5 Western European nations, and - New Zealand.

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