Plimmerton is a seaside suburb of Porirua, around 28 km north of central Wellington on the Kapiti Line. It sits between Mana (south) and Pukerua Bay (north) on the western coastline.

How was Plimmerton named?

Plimmerton is named after John Plimmer, the Wellington businessman known as the 'father of Wellington', who purchased land in the area in the 1880s. The name dates from that period.

Is Plimmerton Beach safe for swimming?

Plimmerton Beach is generally a safe, sheltered swimming beach popular with families. The sand is unusually clean for the Wellington coast. Surf Life Saving NZ patrols operate during peak summer.

How do I get from Wellington to Plimmerton?

The Kapiti Line train from Wellington Railway Station takes around 30 minutes. By car, around 25 to 35 minutes via SH1, longer at rush hour. Multiple Metlink buses also connect.

What schools are in Plimmerton?

Plimmerton School (state co-ed primary, years 1 to 6) is the main local school. Older students typically attend Aotea College or Mana College in Porirua.

Which schools are in zone for Plimmerton?

Children living in Plimmerton are in zone for Aotea College, St Oran's College, Plimmerton School, 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 Plimmerton?

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.

Plimmerton, Wellington | Schools, Lifestyle & Local Guide

Living in Plimmerton

Plimmerton is a small seaside suburb on the northern Porirua coast, about 28 km north of Wellington on the Kapiti Line. It was named after John Plimmer, the Wellington businessman and "father of Wellington" who purchased land here in the 1880s. It's been a popular summer destination since the train arrived in 1886.

The Plimmerton Beach runs the length of the foreshore, with sheltered swimming, a long history of sandcastle competitions, and the kind of clean sand that's hard to find elsewhere on the Wellington coast. The Plimmerton Boating Club is at the southern end. The Plimmerton Domain provides sports grounds and walking paths.

The village shops on Steyne Avenue are the local hub: a Four Square, a café or two, the local takeaways, and the Plimmerton Tavern (rebuilt several times over the years). Plimmerton School (state co-ed primary) is on Pope Street. Older students typically attend Aotea College or Mana College in Porirua.

Plimmerton sits between Mana to the south and Pukerua Bay to the north. The train station puts central Wellington around 30 minutes away. Property prices reflect both the beach access and the commute. The wind can come in hard from the Cook Strait, but on a calm summer evening Plimmerton holds its own against any beach in the country.

Is Plimmerton a good place to live?

Plimmerton is home to roughly 2,106 people. On Suburb's overall livability scale, Plimmerton scores 75 out of 100, with a safety score of 66/100 and 71% green space.

Schools: Plimmerton has 15 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 $914K, and weekly rent typically sits around $510.

Lifestyle: Plimmerton has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. The current temperature is 9.9°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Plimmerton 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

Safety66
Amenities100
Schools87
Housing Affordability41
Green space100
Community100
Transport40

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $914K
Median Weekly Rent: $510/wk
Median HH Income: $136K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): -1.7%
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 Porirua City →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Plimmerton?: Plimmerton is a seaside suburb of Porirua, around 28 km north of central Wellington on the Kapiti Line. It sits between Mana (south) and Pukerua Bay (north) on the western coastline.
How was Plimmerton named?: Plimmerton is named after John Plimmer, the Wellington businessman known as the 'father of Wellington', who purchased land in the area in the 1880s. The name dates from that period.
Is Plimmerton Beach safe for swimming?: Plimmerton Beach is generally a safe, sheltered swimming beach popular with families. The sand is unusually clean for the Wellington coast. Surf Life Saving NZ patrols operate during peak summer.
How do I get from Wellington to Plimmerton?: The Kapiti Line train from Wellington Railway Station takes around 30 minutes. By car, around 25 to 35 minutes via SH1, longer at rush hour. Multiple Metlink buses also connect.
What schools are in Plimmerton?: Plimmerton School (state co-ed primary, years 1 to 6) is the main local school. Older students typically attend Aotea College or Mana College in Porirua.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Plimmerton

Schools in zone for Plimmerton

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

Aotea College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1375 · decile 5
St Oran's College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 504 · decile 10
Plimmerton School
Full Primary · roll 383 · decile 10
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 Plimmerton. 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 Plimmerton that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).

St Theresa's School (Plimmerton)
Contributing · roll 197 · decile 10 · 0.9 km away
Titahi Bay North School
Full Primary · roll 118 · decile 2 · 3.2 km away
Paremata School
Full Primary · roll 306 · decile 9 · 3.3 km away
Papakowhai School
Full Primary · roll 460 · decile 10 · 4.0 km away
Postgate School
Full Primary · roll 318 · decile 3 · 4.1 km away
Titahi Bay School
Contributing · roll 361 · decile 4 · 4.2 km away
Discovery School
Full Primary · roll 450 · decile 10 · 4.3 km away
St Pius X School (Titahi Bay)
Contributing · roll 16 · decile 4 · 4.3 km away
Titahi Bay Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 169 · decile 4 · 4.4 km away
Rangikura School
Full Primary · roll 357 · decile 2 · 4.5 km away
Whitby Collegiate
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 357 · 4.9 km away

Explore Plimmerton

Things to do(11)

Arts on Track

Karehana Park

The Track Scientific Reserve

Plimmerton Domain

Te Rauparaha Reserve

Mana Archery Club

Urban Athletes

Elite Dance Company

Plimmerton dog park

Karehana Reserve

Rongonui Kenpo Karate School

Parks & green spaces(6)

Karehana Park

The Track Scientific Reserve

Plimmerton Domain

Te Rauparaha Reserve

Plimmerton dog park

Karehana Reserve

Healthcare

Pharmacies and clinics for this area haven’t been catalogued yet.

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	21.03	14.89	1.59	12.05
☀️ Feb	19.99	14.97	5.08	10.01
🍂 Mar	18.37	13	2.56	9.9
🍂 Apr	17.21	11.75	3.53	8.41
🍂 May	15.27	10.27	4.22	7.02
❄️ Jun	13.59	8.58	4.52	6.5
❄️ Jul	12.45	7.88	4.49	5.82
❄️ Aug	12.29	8.08	5.27	7.31
🌸 Sep	13.75	9.26	3.48	8.44
🌸 Oct	14.64	9.66	3.21	9.92
🌸 Nov	16.82	11.9	3.03	11.31
☀️ Dec	18.85	13.86	2.86	10.96

Living in Plimmerton

Is Plimmerton a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Plimmerton

Schools in zone for Plimmerton

Aotea College

St Oran's College

Plimmerton School

Hutt International Boys' School

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

St Theresa's School (Plimmerton)

Titahi Bay North School

Paremata School

Papakowhai School

Postgate School

Titahi Bay School

Discovery School

St Pius X School (Titahi Bay)

Titahi Bay Intermediate

Rangikura School

Whitby Collegiate

Explore Plimmerton

🎯Things to do(11)

Arts on Track

Karehana Park

The Track Scientific Reserve

Plimmerton Domain

Te Rauparaha Reserve

Mana Archery Club

Urban Athletes

Elite Dance Company

Plimmerton dog park

Karehana Reserve

Rongonui Kenpo Karate School

🌳Parks & green spaces(6)

Karehana Park

The Track Scientific Reserve

Plimmerton Domain

Te Rauparaha Reserve

Plimmerton dog park

Karehana Reserve

🏥Healthcare

Eat & Drink in Plimmerton

🍽️Places to eat & drink(16)

The Big Salami

Tide & Track Village Cafe

The Jetty

The Site Shed

Backyard Cafe

Urban Bake House

Thai Plimmerton

Plimmerton Taj

Plimmerton Fish Supply

Topor Bistro

Taj Restaurants

The Big Salami

Cake Wellington

Kafe Oranje

Let's Eat Cake Wellington (formerly Cake Wellington)

Just Baked

Tradies & Services in Plimmerton

🔧Tradies & services(26)

Automatic Transmission Repairs

Capital Chem-Dry

Composting New Zealand

Distinctive Home and Landscapes

Edwards & Hardy

Everiss Civil Ltd

Focus Projects Ltd

Freedom Structures Ltd

Garage Monkey

Hashtag Electrical

I.A Solutions - Rope Access Inspection & Maintenance Services

Things to do(11)

Parks & green spaces(6)

Healthcare

Places to eat & drink(16)

Tradies & services(26)

Shops(6)

Beauty & fitness(9)

Professional services(4)

Places to stay(2)