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New Zealand · Wellington Region

Wellington: how to get there and around

Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.

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Wellington is the capital of New Zealand (Wellington Region), 31 m (102 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Wellington International Airport (WLG), 5 km (3 mi) from the centre.

Key facts

Population381,900
Elevation31 m (102 ft)
Area444 km²
Time zonePacific/Auckland (UTC+12 now)
CurrencyDollar (NZD)
Dialling code+64
Driving sideLeft
Plug typesAS/NZS 3112
Postal codes2 codes, 6021 to 6149
UN/LOCODENZWLG
People are calledWellingtonian
Coordinates-41.287, 174.776
Wellington

Open Wellington in Google Maps

Daylight in Wellington runs from about 9 h 15 min a day in late June to 15 h 13 min in late December (computed for -41.29° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.

Getting there

Wellington is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Wellington International Airport (WLG), 5 km (3 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 6,352 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Woodbourne Airport (BHE, 80 km).

Flights to Wellington: every airport, routes and times

Buses to Wellington · Driving and car hire

Nearby cities, and how to get between them

Twin towns and sister cities: Beijing.

Common questions

Which airport serves Wellington?

Wellington International Airport (WLG), 5 km (3 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.

How big is Wellington?

About 381,900 people live in Wellington, across 444 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).

What time zone is Wellington in?

Pacific/Auckland, currently UTC+12.

What currency is used in Wellington?

The Dollar (NZD). Traffic drives on the left.

Which cities are near Wellington?

Christchurch (305 km), Hamilton (392 km), Lower Hutt (14 km).

Where these facts come from

  • GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
  • Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
  • OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
  • Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines

Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.