Pukete is a 1970s riverside suburb in northwestern Hamilton in New Zealand.

The cobblestoned walk in the park has a grass dog exercise area. The riverside walkway, which includes many pedestrian bridges, can be used by walkers or cyclists, but the lower sections are subject to flooding in winter. A pedestrian bridge links Braithwaite Park to Flagstaff on the eastern side of the Waikato River. A 2015 River Plan proposed it become 'a flower garden bridge'.

There is a small beach on the west side of the river at Braithwaite park often used in summer by water skiers and picnickers. To the north of the residential area is the Pukete Mountain Bike track, an Equestrian centre, and a two-lane launching ramp into the Waikato River, all on the Pukete Farm Park. A concreted riverside track, for bikes and pedestrians, runs north from Mountain View Lane starting by the southeast side of the Fonterra Te Rapa Milk powder factory.

The eastern part of Pukete and neighbouring St Andrews is built on an old river terrace. This rises to the flat alluvial fan that covers most of Hamilton. The land rises to one of Hamilton's many small hills at Ngaio Place giving views over most of Hamilton.

Four-laning of the Pukete Bridge was completed in Easter 2013, well ahead of schedule due to the long dry summer.

Pukete covers 1.93 km (0.75 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 4,990 as of June 2024, with a population density of 2,585 people per km.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	4,497	—
2013	4,296	−0.65%
2018	4,605	+1.40%
Source:

Pukete had a population of 4,605 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 309 people (7.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 108 people (2.4%) since the 2006 census. There were 1,539 households, comprising 2,298 males and 2,307 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.0 males per female, with 1,071 people (23.3%) aged under 15 years, 975 (21.2%) aged 15 to 29, 2,082 (45.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 477 (10.4%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 77.4% European/Pākehā, 19.6% Māori, 4.9% Pacific peoples, 10.7% Asian, and 2.3% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 20.2, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 54.7% had no religion, 32.9% were Christian, 0.9% had Māori religious beliefs, 2.2% were Hindu, 0.4% were Muslim, 0.7% were Buddhist and 1.9% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 753 (21.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 549 (15.5%) people had no formal qualifications. 681 people (19.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 2,043 (57.8%) people were employed full-time, 477 (13.5%) were part-time, and 159 (4.5%) were unemployed.

Pukete includes two census areas, East and West. The population is stable and they are wealthier and younger than the 37.4 years of the national average, as shown below -

	East				West				National median income
Year	Population	Average age	Households	Median income	Population	Average age	Households	Median income
1996	2,409		777		1,980		618
2001	2,409	33.2	801	$25,500	2,085	30.2	675	$24,100	$18,500
2006	2,397	33.3	810	$31,800	2,103	29.8	675	$29,900	$24,100
2013	2,280	35.8	816	$38,100	2,016	32.7	675	$32,900	$27,900
2018	2,361	35	825	$40,600	2,244	32.2	717	$36,900	$31,800

In 2018 the main ethnic groups were -

Area	European	Māori	Asian
East	80.9%	15.1%	10.8%
West	73.7%	24.3%	10.7%

Pukete Pa is located in the north of the suburb on a cliff on the Waikato River bank, at the northern end of the riverside Braithwate Park. It is thought to have been built by Nga Iwi and later conquered by Ngati Koura The name Pukete comes from a locally made bag used to soak hinau berries in streams to ferment and preserve them. The area was confiscated in 1864, after the invasion of the Waikato. A double ditch remains to the north of the Pa. Carved wooden items, found close to the pā, are in Waikato Museum. Habitation was sparse, as one early European traveller noted no other settlement for 15 mi (24 km) along the Waikato.

Pukete parish existed from at least 1867, but, until the 1900s, Horotiu was often referred to as Pukete. Horotiu railway station changed its name from Pukete on 23 June 1907, when the proposed post office was referred to as Horotiu (Pukete), and the name of Horotiu school changed from Pukete in 1911.

Pukete and neighbouring Te Rapa were important sites for the kauri gum trade of the late 19th/early 20th centuries, being some of the southern-most locations where gum could be found.

In 2011 Hamilton Libraries compiled a list of street names, showing that most development occurred over about a decade from 1969, that many roads were named after trees and several developers were involved Before long, Pukete School was opened in 1972 and a swimming pool in 1975. Rather slower to open were a library in 1999 and Te Manawa Hall in 2002.

Street name	Date	Named by	Source of name
Church Road	1945-50	Waipa County Council	after a Waipa County councillor of 1945
Ashurst Avenue	1969	Taupo Totara Timber Company	tree theme
Sherwood Drive	1969	Taupo Totara Timber Company	tree theme
Totara Drive	1969	Taupo Totara Timber Company	tree theme
Challinor Street	1969	Builders Land Services	after R.C. Clough, chairman of the board
Clematis Avenue	1969	Builders Land Services	tree theme
Pukete Road	1969	Builders Land Services	parish name
Fuchsia Avenue	1971	Builders Land Services	tree theme
Houhere Place	1971	Builders Land Services	tree theme
Kohekohe Place	1971	Builders Land Services	tree theme
Pohutukawa Drive	1971	Builders Land Services	tree theme
Tanekaha Place	1971	Builders Land Services	tree theme
Titoki Place	1973	Builders Land Services	tree theme
Elmwood Crescent	1973	Taupo Totara Timber Company	tree theme
Oakfield Crescent	1973	Taupo Totara Timber Company	tree theme
Cullimore Street	1974	Peerless Homes Ltd	after Bert Cullimore, Housing Corporation
Frost Place	1974	Peerless Homes Ltd	land owner
Highland Drive	1974	Peerless Homes Ltd
Manuka Street	1974	Builders Land Services	tree theme
Nikau Place	1975	Builders Land Services	tree theme
Norfolk Place	1975	Peerless Homes Ltd	tree theme
Ash Place	1976	Peerless Homes Ltd	tree theme
Cypress Crescent	1976	Peerless Homes Ltd	tree theme
Matipo Crescent	1976	Brian Perry Developments	tree theme
Ngaio Place	1977	Builders Land Services	tree theme
Cherrywood Street	1977	Taupo Totara Timber Company	tree theme
Chestnut Place	1977	Taupo Totara Timber Company	tree theme
Sycamore Place	1977	Taupo Totara Timber Company	tree theme
Willowfield Place	1977	Taupo Totara Timber Company	tree theme
O'Connell Court	1977	Housing Corporation	land owner
Horoeka Court	1978	Paramount Builders Ltd	tree theme
Kupe Place	1999	Grasshopper Developments	Taranaki gas field
Maui Street	1999	Grasshopper Developments	Taranaki gas field
McKee Street	1999	Grasshopper Developments	Taranaki gas field
Karewa Place	2002	Wairere Drive Properties Ltd	Karewa Island, Bay of Plenty

Braithwaite Park was owned by Waikato Hospital Board, who sold it to developers in 1990, the park being transferred to Hamilton City Council on 12 June 1990. It has a jetty, which is the terminus of a ferry to Hamilton.

Pukete School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students with a roll of 394 as of August 2024. The first Pukete School was established in 1879, and burned down in 1909. The current school opened in 1973.

Te Rapa School also serves the area.

• List of streets in Hamilton
• Suburbs of Hamilton, New Zealand
• The Base (shopping centre)
• Pukete sewage works
• Te Rapa railway station