Hilton is a small town that lies between Howick and Pietemaritzburg in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

In 1872 the Reverend William Orde Newnham[2] opened Hilton College on a large estate 7.8km[3] north of the town, which is now one of South Africa's leading private schools.

He married Jane Maidstone née Pearson on the 13th Aug 1849 in Pietermaritzburg and accompanied Theophilus Shepstone as adviser to the Transvaal in 1877.

Education in Hilton includes Cowan House, a private mixed boarding school for over 300 pupils.

It is bounded by Garlington Estate to the north, and Cedara to the north-west, and Pietermaritzburg and Chase Valley to the south-east For census purposes (2011), the main place of Hilton includes the following sub-places:[7] Hilton is bypassed by the major N3 highway to the north, routing traffic heading north-west from Pietermaritzburg towards Harrismith.