Masterton

Masterton Whakaoriori (Māori)
Territorial authority district
Masterton district within the North Island
Coordinates: 40°58′S 175°39′E / 40.97°S 175.65°E / -40.97; 175.65
Country	New Zealand
Region	Greater Wellington
District	Masterton District
Town founded	1854
NZ Parliament	Ikaroa-Rāwhiti (Māori) Wairarapa
Government
• Mayor	Gary Caffell
• Deputy Mayor	Bex Johnson
• MPs	Mike Butterick (National) Cushla Tangaere-Manuel (Labour)
• Territorial authority	Masterton District Council
Area [1]
• Territorial	2,300.21 km2 (888.12 sq mi)
• Urban	22.45 km2 (8.67 sq mi)
Elevation	69 m (420 ft)
Population  (June 2024)[2]
• Territorial	29,700
• Density	13/km2 (33/sq mi)
• Urban	23,200
• Urban density	1,000/km2 (2,700/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+12 (NZST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode	5810
Area code	06
Website	www.mstn.govt.nz

Masterton (Māori: Whakaoriori)^[3] is a large town in the Greater Wellington Region of New Zealand that operates as the seat of the Masterton District (a territorial authority or local-government district). It is the largest town in the Wairarapa, a region separated from Wellington by the Remutaka ranges. It stands on the Waipoua stream between the Ruamāhunga and Waingawa Rivers – 100 kilometres north-east of Wellington and 39.4 kilometres south of Eketāhuna.

Masterton has an urban population of 23,200, and a district population of 29,700 (June 2024).^[2]

Masterton businesses includes services for surrounding farmers. Three new industrial parks are being developed^[when?] in Waingawa, Solway and Upper Plain. The town functions as the headquarters of the annual Golden Shears sheep-shearing competition.