Riverhead is a small, historically predominantly working-class town located at the head of the Waitematā Harbour in the north-west of Auckland, New Zealand.

It is located on the northwestern shores of the Upper Waitematā Harbour, north-east of the towns of Kumeū and Huapai.

Traditionally known as Rangitōpuni, the area was an important transportation link for Tāmaki Māori, due to Te Tōangaroa, a portage where waka could be hauled between the Kaipara Harbour and the Waitematā Harbour.

Riverhead became an important centre for the kauri gum trade from the 1880s until the early 20th century, and in 1927, an exotic Pinus radiata forest called the Riverhead Forest was established to the north of the town.

[3] The harbour around Riverhead was a source of seasonal shark and snapper for various Tāmaki Māori groups.

[8][3] European settlement of Riverhead began in 1844, when a kauri mill was established at Riverhead, due to the access the area had to the Waitematā Harbour, and the adjacent Rangitōpuni Stream providing fresh water and a way to power the mill.

The track was narrow and often difficult to navigate due to poor weather conditions, leading to goods and people to be bottlenecked at Riverhead.

In 1865, the Government funded road improvements to the track,[11] and the Riverhead Hotel was established in either 1870 or 1871.

[14] The line operated from 1875 to 1881 as a link from Auckland to regions north, with Riverhead acting as the transition point from ferry to railway.

[9] In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Riverhead, Swanson and Henderson became major locations for the kauri gum digging trade.

For general elections, Riverhead is in the Kaipara ki Mahurangi and Te Tai Tokerau electorates.