Ōtāhuhu is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand – 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) to the southeast of the CBD, on a narrow isthmus between an arm of the Manukau Harbour to the west and the Tāmaki River estuary to the east.

The Auckland isthmus is the narrowest connection between the North Auckland Peninsula and the rest of the North Island, being only some 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) wide at its narrowest point, between the Ōtāhuhu Creek and the Māngere Inlet.

[6] The area is named after Tāhuhunui-o-te-rangi, captain of the Moekākara waka, and who settled on Ōtāhuhu and in Northland, his descendants becoming the Ngāi Tāhuhu iwi.

[17][18][16] This portage is traditionally associated as the place where the Tainui waka was hauled between the Tamaki River and Manukau Harbour.

[16] In the early 1800s, the portage was used by Ngāpuhi during the Musket Wars, to attack Tainui tribes in the Waikato.

Most early features from this time have disappeared, however, such as the stone Tāmaki Bridge built by the fencibles that had to make way to a widening of Great South Road.

[21] A year and a half later on 20 May 1875, the line was extended south and the Ōtāhuhu railway station was opened.

[31] Ōtāhuhu, in its position on a narrow section of the Auckland isthmus, is an important part of Auckland's southern transportation approaches for both road and rail, containing a combined bus interchange and Ōtāhuhu railway station.

[33][34] "The station is at the heart of the Southern New Network", said Auckland Transport's Chief AT Metro Officer, Mark Lambert.

[36] Ōtāhuhu nowadays is synonymous with industry and along with its neighbouring suburbs Favona, Māngere East, Mt Wellington, Penrose and Westfield forms an industrial conglomerate zone that spans much of the Māngere Inlet.

The community and town centre flourishes as the crossroad to Central and South Auckland and is home to a sizeable Pacific Island populace.