Petone is a coastal suburb of Lower Hutt, on the northern shore of Wellington Harbour at the mouth of the Hutt River. It's around 13 km northeast of central Wellington and 5 km southwest of central Lower Hutt.

What is Jackson Street?

Jackson Street is Petone's main commercial spine, a roughly 2 km strip of heritage buildings now hosting cafes, restaurants, antique shops, breweries (notably Garage Project), vintage clothing and homewares. The Saturday Petone Market runs along part of it.

Was Petone the first European settlement in New Zealand?

Petone was the first New Zealand Company settlement, established in January 1840 as the original "Britannia" town. After early flooding, the settlers relocated across the harbour, and the new town became Wellington. Petone's Settlers Museum documents this history.

How do I get from Wellington to Petone?

The Hutt Valley Line train from Wellington Railway Station to Petone Station takes around 13 minutes, with frequent services. By car, around 15 to 20 minutes via SH2 off-peak.

What is the Garage Project Tasting Room?

Garage Project is a Wellington-based craft brewery with its main tasting room at 91 Aro Street in Wellington, plus a brewery and additional tasting space in Petone (Te Whiti Street). The brewery operates several beer release events through the year.

Which schools are in zone for Petone?

Children living in Petone are in zone for Hutt Valley High School, St Oran's College, Sacred Heart School (Petone), Hutt International Boys' School. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.

How do I check my school zone in Petone?

Use the School Zone Checker on this page — enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Petone, Wellington | Schools, Lifestyle & Local Guide

Living in Petone

Petone sits on the northern shore of Wellington Harbour at the mouth of Te Awa Kairangi, the Hutt River. It's where the New Zealand Company tried to start the colony of Wellington in January 1840 before flooding sent everyone packing across the harbour. Wellington won the city; Petone got the foreshore, the industrial heritage, and the better Saturday markets.

Jackson Street is the main spine: 2 km of heritage buildings now hosting antique shops, vintage clothing, breweries, cafes and the country's best concentration of ex-warehouses-now-something-else. Garage Project's tasting room is at the western end. The Saturday Petone Market runs along part of the strip. The Petone Settlers Museum on the foreshore tells the 1840 settlement story properly, with the kind of detail that makes people want to come back twice.

Petone Beach runs the suburb's southern edge, with the Petone Wharf jutting out for fishing and a swim platform. Williams Park and the Esplanade handle the rest of the foreshore. The train station puts the city 13 minutes away.

Petone has gentrified hard since 2010, but kept the bones intact. Worth a Saturday wander if you've not been recently. Twice over if you have.

Is Petone a good place to live?

Petone is home to roughly 7,731 people across 8.6 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Petone scores 63 out of 100, with a safety score of 57/100 and 10% green space.

Schools: Petone has 27 schools in or near the suburb, spanning early-childhood through to secondary education. See the Schools tab below for the full list.

Housing: The estimated median value is around $788K, and weekly rent typically sits around $494.

Lifestyle: Petone has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. Public transport stops are within easy reach. The current temperature is 10.0°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Petone is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. Use the data and community tips below to decide if it suits your lifestyle, family and budget.

Map

Livability Breakdown

Safety57
Amenities100
Schools83
Housing Affordability48
Green space33
Community56
Transport20

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $788K
Median Weekly Rent: $494/wk
Median HH Income: $98K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): +1.8%
Data Year: 2023

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

† Est. Median Value is suburb.co.nz's own estimate, modelled from available public data. We aim for accuracy, but where data is limited, estimates may be imprecise.

Nearby Suburbs

Browse all suburbs in Lower Hutt City →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Petone?: Petone is a coastal suburb of Lower Hutt, on the northern shore of Wellington Harbour at the mouth of the Hutt River. It's around 13 km northeast of central Wellington and 5 km southwest of central Lower Hutt.
What is Jackson Street?: Jackson Street is Petone's main commercial spine, a roughly 2 km strip of heritage buildings now hosting cafes, restaurants, antique shops, breweries (notably Garage Project), vintage clothing and homewares. The Saturday Petone Market runs along part of it.
Was Petone the first European settlement in New Zealand?: Petone was the first New Zealand Company settlement, established in January 1840 as the original "Britannia" town. After early flooding, the settlers relocated across the harbour, and the new town became Wellington. Petone's Settlers Museum documents this history.
How do I get from Wellington to Petone?: The Hutt Valley Line train from Wellington Railway Station to Petone Station takes around 13 minutes, with frequent services. By car, around 15 to 20 minutes via SH2 off-peak.
What is the Garage Project Tasting Room?: Garage Project is a Wellington-based craft brewery with its main tasting room at 91 Aro Street in Wellington, plus a brewery and additional tasting space in Petone (Te Whiti Street). The brewery operates several beer release events through the year.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Petone

Schools in zone for Petone

Children living in Petone have a guaranteed right to enrol at these schools, based on Ministry of Education home zones.

Hutt Valley High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1999 · decile 8
St Oran's College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 504 · decile 10
Sacred Heart School (Petone)
Full Primary · roll 148 · decile 5
Hutt International Boys' School
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 653 · decile 10

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Enter your address to check your school zone in Petone. School enrolment zones (home zones) decide which schools your child has a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Address matching is approximate and based on OpenStreetMap geocoding — confirm an exact result near a zone boundary directly with the school.

Other nearby schools

Schools close to Petone that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).

Petone Central School
Full Primary · roll 186 · decile 5 · 0.6 km away
Wilford School
Full Primary · roll 204 · decile 5 · 0.9 km away
Hutt Valley Activity Centre
Activity Centre · 1.2 km away
Te Ara Whanui Kura Kaupapa Māori o ngā Kōhanga Reo o Te Awa Kairangi
Composite · roll 415 · decile 2 · 1.3 km away
Randwick School
Full Primary · roll 109 · decile 3 · 1.8 km away
Hutt Central School
Contributing · roll 262 · decile 5 · 2.0 km away
Korokoro School
Full Primary · roll 191 · decile 10 · 2.0 km away
Maungaraki School
Full Primary · roll 355 · decile 10 · 2.2 km away
Sacred Heart College (Lower Hutt)
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 835 · decile 7 · 2.6 km away
Our Lady of the Rosary School (Waiwhetu)
Full Primary · roll 260 · decile 5 · 2.7 km away
Sts Peter and Paul School (L Hutt)
Full Primary · roll 439 · decile 9 · 2.7 km away
Gracefield School
Contributing · roll 199 · decile 5 · 2.8 km away
Normandale School
Contributing · roll 129 · decile 8 · 2.9 km away
Hutt Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 598 · decile 8 · 3.0 km away
Chilton Saint James School
Composite · roll 255 · decile 10 · 3.3 km away
Eastern Hutt School
Contributing · roll 581 · decile 9 · 3.4 km away
St Bernard's College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 684 · decile 6 · 3.5 km away
Waterloo School
Contributing · roll 507 · decile 8 · 3.7 km away
Raphael House Rudolf Steiner Area School
Composite · roll 280 · decile 10 · 4.2 km away
Boulcott School
Contributing · roll 325 · decile 7 · 4.4 km away
Te Puni School - Te kura o Te Puni
Contributing · roll 156 · decile 3 · 4.7 km away
Bellevue School (Newlands)
Contributing · roll 231 · decile 8 · 4.9 km away
Wainuiomata Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 339 · decile 2 · 5.0 km away

Explore Petone

Things to do(40)

CityFitness

Jetts Fitness

Wellington water ski club

F45 Training

Ahika CrossFit

Loveracing.Nz

Fitness with Grace

Jetts Miramar

Zambrero NZ

Jetts Petone

Tally Ho Training

Little Dribblers Football Club

Legacy Fit

North Park

GKR Karate

Bujinkan Jissen Dojo

Pil Sung Taekwon-Do

Petone Tennis Club

Petone Rugby Football Club

Petone Riverside Cricket Club

Dance Hub Wellington - Petone

Krav Maga Wellington

Petone Central Bowling Club

He toa muay thai

Cage Fight Academy Lower Hutt

Viking Brothers Strength and Conditioning

Petone Garden of Remembrance

Popperz Dance Studio

Petone Rugby League Club

Petone Rowing Club

Heretaunga Boating Club

Hype Fitness

Wellington School of Tai Chi Chuan

McEwan Park

Capital Football

Empire Table Tennis Club

Sladden Park

Dive HQ Wellington

Petone Beach Park

Petone Memorial Park

Parks & green spaces(6)

North Park

Petone Garden of Remembrance

McEwan Park

Sladden Park

Petone Beach Park

Petone Memorial Park

Healthcare(2)

Unichem

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	21.31	14.86	2.29	11.19
☀️ Feb	20.28	14.8	3.39	10.64
🍂 Mar	18.22	12.56	2.94	10.03
🍂 Apr	17.19	11.57	4.57	7.86
🍂 May	14.95	9.7	4.32	6.89
❄️ Jun	13.62	8.24	2.57	6.48
❄️ Jul	12.39	7.43	3.42	6.13
❄️ Aug	11.98	7.01	3.99	7.63
🌸 Sep	14.15	9.06	4.05	8.56
🌸 Oct	15.22	9.69	3.86	9.93
🌸 Nov	16.69	11.26	3.03	10.67
☀️ Dec	19.05	13.64	3.17	10.41

Living in Petone

Is Petone a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Petone

Schools in zone for Petone

Hutt Valley High School

St Oran's College

Sacred Heart School (Petone)

Hutt International Boys' School

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

Petone Central School

Wilford School

Hutt Valley Activity Centre

Te Ara Whanui Kura Kaupapa Māori o ngā Kōhanga Reo o Te Awa Kairangi

Randwick School

Hutt Central School

Korokoro School

Maungaraki School

Sacred Heart College (Lower Hutt)

Our Lady of the Rosary School (Waiwhetu)

Sts Peter and Paul School (L Hutt)

Gracefield School

Normandale School

Hutt Intermediate

Chilton Saint James School

Eastern Hutt School

St Bernard's College

Waterloo School

Raphael House Rudolf Steiner Area School

Boulcott School

Te Puni School - Te kura o Te Puni

Bellevue School (Newlands)

Wainuiomata Intermediate

Explore Petone

🎯Things to do(40)

CityFitness

Jetts Fitness

Wellington water ski club

F45 Training

Ahika CrossFit

Loveracing.Nz

Fitness with Grace

Jetts Miramar

Zambrero NZ

Jetts Petone

Tally Ho Training

Little Dribblers Football Club

Legacy Fit

North Park

GKR Karate

Bujinkan Jissen Dojo

Pil Sung Taekwon-Do

Petone Tennis Club

Petone Rugby Football Club

Petone Riverside Cricket Club

Dance Hub Wellington - Petone

Krav Maga Wellington

Petone Central Bowling Club

He toa muay thai

Cage Fight Academy Lower Hutt

Viking Brothers Strength and Conditioning

Petone Garden of Remembrance

Popperz Dance Studio

Petone Rugby League Club

Petone Rowing Club

Heretaunga Boating Club

Hype Fitness

Wellington School of Tai Chi Chuan

McEwan Park

Capital Football

Empire Table Tennis Club

Sladden Park

Dive HQ Wellington

Things to do(40)

Parks & green spaces(6)

Healthcare(2)

Places to eat & drink(160)