Palmerston North City Council

Palmerston North Te Papa-i-Oea (Māori)
Metropolitan area
Clockwise from top: The Square, Central Business District, All Saints Church, City Library, The Square Clock Tower
Flag
Nickname(s): Palmy
Motto: Palmam Qui Meruit Ferat Let him who has earned it, bear the reward
Palmerston North
Coordinates: 40°21.3′S 175°36.7′E / 40.3550°S 175.6117°E / -40.3550; 175.6117Coordinates: 40°21.3′S 175°36.7′E / 40.3550°S 175.6117°E / -40.3550; 175.6117
Country	New Zealand
Island	North Island
Region	Manawatu-Wanganui
Territorial authority	Palmerston North City Council
Borough proclaimed	1877
City proclaimed	1930
Electorates	Palmerston North, Rangitīkei; (Māori): Te Tai Hauāuru
Government
• Mayor	Grant Smith
• Deputy Mayor	Tangi Utikere
Area
• Territorial	395 km2 (153 sq mi)
Highest elevation	760 m (2,490 ft)
Lowest elevation	10 m (30 ft)
Population (June 2016)
• Territorial	86,300
• Density	220/km2 (570/sq mi)
• Urban	84,300
• Demonym	Palmerstonian
Time zone	NZST (UTC+12)
• Summer (DST)	NZDT (UTC+13)
Post codes	4410, 4412, 4414, 4471, 4472, 4475, 4810, 4820
Area code(s)	06
Local iwi	Ngāti Rangitāne
Website	pncc.govt.nz

Largest groups of overseas-born residents
Nationality	Population (2013)
United Kingdom	3,591
China	1,392
Australia	1,017
India	1,008
South Africa	705
Fiji	489
Philippines	444
United States	438
Samoa	348
Malaysia	333

Motto: Palmam Qui Meruit Ferat

Palmerston North (/ˌpɑːmərstənˈnɔːrθ/ (Māori: Te Papa-i-Oea) is a city located in the Manawatu-Whanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand, commonly referred to as Palmerston, or Palmy by locals.

Palmerston North is located inland, in the eastern Manawatu Plains, near the north bank of the Manawatu River. The city is 35 km (22 mi) from the river's mouth and 12 km (7 mi) from the end of the Manawatu Gorge. It is about 140 km (87 mi) north of the capital, Wellington.

The official limits of the city take in rural areas to the south, north-east, north-west and west of the main urban area, extending to the Tararua Ranges; including the town of Ashhurst at the mouth of the Manawatu Gorge, the villages of Bunnythorpe and Longburn in the north and west respectively. The city covers a land area of 395 square kilometres (98,000 acres).

The city's location was once little more than a clearing in a forest and occupied by small communities of indigenous Māori, who called it Papa-i-Oea sometimes spelt Papaioea, believed to mean "How beautiful it is". In the mid 19th century, it was discovered and settled by Europeans (mostly of British and Scandinavian origin). On foundation, the settlement was bestowed the name Palmerston, in honour of Viscount Palmerston, a former Prime Minister of Great Britain. The suffix "North" was added in 1871 by the Post Office to distinguish the settlement from Palmerston in the South Island. The Māori transliteration of Palmerston North, is Pamutana (Nota). However, Te Papaioea is the preferred Māori name.