Waimauku is approximately 4 kilometres west of Huapai on State Highway 16 at the junction with the road to Muriwai Beach.

[6][7] Waimauku is a Māori word which is literally translated as wai: stream and mauku: varieties of small ferns.

The Auckland Regional Council announced in 2007 that Western Line rail services would be extended to Helensville for a one-year trial period commencing in July 2008.

[12] The name Waimauku describes the banks of the Kaipara River near the modern settlement, and how when they flooded only tī mauku (cabbage trees) would be visible.

[15][16][13] By the early 18th century, the major power in the area had become Te Taoū, a distinct hapū of Ngāti Whātua.

[17] The Waimauku Dairy Factory was established in 1909, specialising in collecting cream from the surrounding areas.

The results were 87.2% European (Pākehā); 10.5% Māori; 3.4% Pasifika; 9.6% Asian; 0.7% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 5.2% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander".

The township is in the North West Country Inc business improvement district zone.