It lies at the junction of State Highways 3 and 30 and on the North Island Main Trunk railway, 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of Hamilton.

In its original form of "Te Kūititanga", it literally means "the valley", "the squeezing in" or "the narrowing".

The land surrounding Te Kūiti has steep hilly relief which reflects the nature of the North King Country region.

The climate of Te Kūiti is wet during the winter and dry during the late summer with an average of 1,450mm of rainfall each year.

This house is central to Te Kūiti's historical foundation, also referred to as the epicentre of the Rohe Pōtae or "King Country".

[15] The Mangaokewa reserve located 5 km south of Te Kūiti is a popular attraction for rock climbers, hikers, picnic goers, swimmers and trout fisherman in the region.

[16] A 'Revitalisation Project' for the NZHPT Category II listed[17] Te Kuiti railway station was started in 2014[18] to provide for arts and crafts groups, an education centre, youth projects, historical displays and a meeting room.

The famous Colin Meads spent the entirety of his career with both Waitete and King Country.