Milton, New Zealand

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Milton
Town
Milton Union Street in 2012
Coordinates: 46°07′S 169°58′E / 46.117°S 169.967°E / -46.117; 169.967
Country	New Zealand
Region	Otago
Territorial authority	Clutha District
Ward	Bruce
Electorates	Taieri Te Tai Tonga (Māori)
Government
• Territorial authority	Clutha District Council
• Regional council	Otago Regional Council
• Mayor of Clutha	Bryan Cadogan
• Taieri MP	Ingrid Leary
• Te Tai Tonga MP	Tākuta Ferris
Area [1]
• Total	4.16 km2 (1.61 sq mi)
Population  (June 2024)[2]
• Total	2,270
• Density	550/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+12 (NZST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode	9220
Area code	03
Local iwi	Ngāi Tahu

Milton, formerly known as Tokomairiro or Tokomairaro,^[3][4] is a town of over 2,000 people, located on State Highway 1, 50 kilometres to the south of Dunedin in Otago, New Zealand. It lies on the floodplain of the Tokomairaro River (until 2016 called the Tokomairiro), one branch of which loops past the north and south ends of the town. This river gives its name to many local features, notably the town's only secondary school, Tokomairiro High School.

Founded as a milling town in the 1850s, there has long been dispute as to the naming of the settlement. The town's streets are named for prominent British poets, and it is possible that the town's original intended name of Milltown became shortened by association with the poet of the same name. It is equally possible, however, that the name Milton inspired the choice of poets' names for the streets.