The board is named for the upper reaches of Auckland's Waitematā Harbour.

Its administrative area consists of the suburbs clustered around the upper reaches, and covers much of the north of Auckland's North Shore and part of West Auckland.

[5] Ethnicities were 49.1% European/Pākehā, 6.1% Māori, 3.1% Pasifika, 45.5% Asian, 3.6% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders, and 1.1% other.

[5] Upper Harbour Local Board Area had a population of 62,841 at the 2018 New Zealand census.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 53.1% had no religion, 33.9% were Christian, 0.2% had Māori religious beliefs, 2.6% were Hindu, 1.6% were Muslim, 2.2% were Buddhist and 1.5% had other religions.