At its centre is Hamilton City, New Zealand's fourth-largest territorial authority.

The urban area contains around half the population of the Waikato Region.

[1] Hamilton Urban Zone, with a population of 203,100, includes Hamilton City, the towns of Ngāruawāhia, Taupiri, Horotiu, Gordonton, Ohaupo, Ngāhinapōuri, Te Kowhai, Whatawhata, Matangi, Tauwhare, Rukuhia and the surrounding rural outskirts.

Te Awamutu Urban Zone, with a population of 17,500, includes the towns of Te Awamutu and Kihikihi and the surrounding rural area.

It will be replaced by five separate urban areas: Hamilton, Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Ngāruawāhia and Kihikihi.