Henderson is located between the Waitākere Ranges to the west, and the Te Atatū Peninsula in the east.

The area is within the catchment of Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek, an estuarial arm of the Waitematā Harbour.

Between 3 and 5 million years ago, tectonic forces uplifted the Waitākere Ranges and central Auckland, while subsiding the Manukau and inner Waitematā harbours.

[5] The land at Henderson is formed from Waitemata Group sandstone, which was previously found at the bottom of a deep sedimentary basin.

[6] Prior to human contact, the Henderson area was home to broadleaf forests, dominated by pūriri, karaka, kohekohe and māhoe trees.

[7] The alluvial creek/harbour zone was favoured by kahikatea, pukatea and rātā, with tī kōuka (cabbage trees) flourishing in wetter sites.

[12] The lower Opanuku Stream area was called Waitaro, referring to the taro cultivations grown there.

[12] Kōpūpāka was the name of a kāinga close to Te Kōpua, which was used as a temporary settlement by Ngāti Whātua during the Musket Wars in the 1820s, during a brief lull in conflict.

1847 to process the logs of kauri trees which were cut from the Henderson Valley and further upstream, from the eastern flanks of the Waitākere Ranges.

[17] The mill closed in the latter 1860s,[19] and in 1875 the area was hit by a major flood, damaging crops and bridges near the settlement.

Overtime, goods to the area sent by rail began adopting this name, and eventually the settlement was referred to as Henderson.

[27] During this time, the Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek at Tui Glen Reserve had become a popular waterway for leisure and a site for pleasure boating.

[29] In the early 1930s, a kauri gum refinery was constructed on Station Road, however this closed down in 1936 after a market slump.

The West Wave Pool and Leisure Centre, owned by the Auckland Council, was built to host the Aquatics at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

[31][32][33] At the northern end of Henderson, near the Lincoln Road motorway interchange, the Toroa, a historic ferry under restoration, is a well-known local landmark.

[34] The Trusts Stadium was completed in August 2004 and was opened by then Prime Minister Helen Clark the following month.

The Local Member of Parliament for Henderson is Phil Twyford, the MP for Te Atatū, who keeps an office in the suburb.

[65] The Western Line runs through the suburb, with Henderson Railway Station being adjacent to the town centre.