New Zealand Street Name Signs
NZ District councils are responsible for the street signs that they put up. Many of these street signs are unique, and if not they can be used to tell apart different regions in the country.
It is essential to study the map found in !docs before you move on to this document.
I really only recommend to fully study this doc if you are going for a 25k in explorer mode or are willing to speedrun the incredibly competitive IntersectionGuessr - New Zealand map.
How to use this document:
On the left are the NZ district council borders, click on the text that corresponds to a district council to show the most common street signs in that district.
Pay attention to the colour coding.
The buttons to switch between the two islands and the blue sign analysis chart are located above the title.
Don’t take these rare yellow signs into account because they can be found in all districts.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
By Fie
Far North:
These street signs are unique to this district, they feature a small council logo with a triangle tip and a chevron.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Whangarei:
These street signs are unique because they feature the old council logo with differing sizes.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Kaipara
This is the current design for the Kaipara District, it features their logo.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Auckland
These two street signs can be found all over Auckland are the most common, they contain mixed capitalisation with a chevron and are either blue or green.
This is a North Shore Street sign, it is green, has mixed case capitalisation and has a white triangle tip.
This is a North Auckland street sign, it is the same as the North Shore design except for its smaller street name suffix.
North
West
North Shore
Central
South
Franklin
*This is a very rough map of where different signs can be found.
This is a West Auckland street sign, it is green, tipped and has a chevron. But it most notably has a triangle logo.
This is a South Auckland street sign, its combination of no logo, triangular tipped body with a chevron makes it unique.
This street sign is blue with a triangle arrow and all capitals. It is not unique within the country but if it is Auckland, it should be central or Franklin.
This is a Franklin district street sign, It is blue with all capitals and a triangle arrow, this sign is unique because it contains a rectangular logo.
Waikato
These are the two designs for the Waikato DISTRICT. The ones on the top can be found in towns and the bottom one in towns and rural areas.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Hauraki
The street signs here are very inconsistent.
It always seems to be upper case and mostly contains a blue triangle.
Hauraki sometimes uses Coromandel signs.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Thames - Coromandel
Although not the most common, these street signs are unique to Coromandel. The street suffix is a little bit smaller than the street name.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Matamata - Piako
This mixed case blue sign with a triangle is very consistent in this district but not unique. The numbers below the sign are found in more rural areas and are unique.
They are also bolted onto the sign post in rural areas, making it unique compared to signs with the same font.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Hamilton
The thing to note about this unique street sign is that its street suffix is in subscript.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Waipa
This street sign is unique to this district, as it has it displays a small council logo and has a white triangular tip.
This green variant of the sign is found in
Te Awamutu
This is the new design for the district,
fortunately it is not very common yet
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Otorohanga
This is sign is unique to the town of Otorohanga, not the district, note the kiwi.
This sign is found everywhere else. The shape and bold mixed font makes it unique.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
South Waikato
This sign is not at all unique but is consistent within this district. All capitals and a triangle arrow.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Waitomo
This common sign is not unique but is also consistent within this district. All capitals and a triangle arrow.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Taupo
This sign is consistent to the Taupo district. Its green tipped body with a chevron and a smaller suffix makes it unique.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Rotorua Lakes
Another ordinary district, All capitals and can have triangle arrows
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Tauranga
This mixed case bold font and white tipped body is distinct to the tauranga district council. Beware as Western Bay of Plenty has this design but with different fonts.
Unfortunately many street signs are being replaced with the newer design. This sign is rectangular, blue, contains arrows and has all capitals.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Western Bay of Plenty
These street signs are the same as Tauranga’s but the font is not bold and can have all capitals.
All caps no arrow street signs can be found but not common.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Whakatane
This unique sign is a green variant to the Tauranga style.
The new but rare design doesn't have tipped body.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Opotiki
Every sign uses all capitals, the appearance of triangle arrows vary.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Gisborne
Gisborne has these two road signs, the top design is the newest and most common while the bottom sign is less common.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Stratford
Stratford’s only design, looks a lot like Auckland’s green sign but the thicker chevron makes it unique.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Wairoa
All capitals, triangle arrows are rare.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Hastings
The top two signs are only found in the major towns south of Napier the second design with a tipped body is the new design and is very rare.
The rest of the district uses these unique yellow all capital signs.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Napier
This is the only sign that you will find in Napier, It has no arrow, is boxy and has all capitals. Im 100% coping but it looks different than the others. Is it glossier or some shit?
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Central Hawke’s Bay
The top two unique signs are the most common in the district. One has all caps and a thin chevron and the other has a pointed body with a smaller triangle than Western Bay of Plenty.
These all caps street signs with triangle arrows are somewhat uncommon.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
These yellow signs are very common in this district
New Plymouth
The second sign features the New Plymouth district council logo and is unique. The basic all capitals design is a little bit more common than the second. There are no arrows
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
South Taranaki
The thick chevron makes this sign unique, the capitalisation varies.
The sign on the bottom is also unique to the Manawatu district, It has two white triangles that overlap
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Ruapehu
These are the only two designs in the Ruapehu district. The green boxy sign contains all capitals and a triangle arrow, this combination makes it unique. It is the most common sign to see in this district.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Whanganui
This is the only design that you will find in this district. It is blue rectangular with all capitals and has no arrows.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Rangitikei
This unique sign is blue, rectangular and mixed case. It is distinctive because the suffix is in superscript. It sometimes contains a thick chevron as an arrow
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Manawatu
This unique street sign can only be found in this district and South Taranaki. It is rectangular, has mixed case and has two overlapping white triangles on one or both sides.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Horowhenua
Just this basic blue all capital design that always contains a triangle.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Tararua
This basic boxy blue all caps design with no arrow can be found in the major towns in this district.
In the rest of the district these useful signs with trapezoid tips can be found. Note that the green place name sign is also unique.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Palmerston North
All Palmerston North signs are rectangular and always use mixed case capitalisation. The presence of arrows are random.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Kapiti Coast
Kapiti Coast District signs use a unique darker shade of green with no arrows and mixed case capitalisation being the most common.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Porirua
This sign is similar to South Taranaki’s and Manawatu’s but the inner layer of the arrow is darker.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Wellington
An extremely unique street sign, it has a green rounded border and white body
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt street sign design has a tipped body and features a fantail bird that makes it unique.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Lower Hutt
Lower hutt signs are rectangular and mixed case. The white border around the sign makes it unique.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
This blue variant is found in and around the suburb of Petone
Masterton
The town of masterton uses these distinct white signs with black text. The rest of the district uses these triangle and trapezoid tips with all capitals.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Carterton
Carterton only uses all capitals and sometimes don’t have arrows
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
South Wairarapa
South Wairarapa only uses all capitals and sometimes don’t have arrows
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other common signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
New Zealand Street Name Signs
NZ District councils are responsible for the street signs that they put up. Many of these street signs are unique, and if not they can be used to tell apart different regions in the country.
It is essential to study the map found in !docs before you move on to this document.
I really only recommend to fully study this doc if you are going for a 25k in explorer mode or are willing to speedrun the incredibly competitive IntersectionGuessr - New Zealand map.
How to use this document:
On the left are the NZ district council borders, click on the text that corresponds to a district council to show the most common street signs in that district.
Pay attention to the colour coding.
The buttons to switch between the two islands and the blue sign analysis chart are located above the title.
Don’t take these rare yellow signs into account because they can be found in all districts.
By Fie
Nelson
This basic blue sign with no arrows and all capitals is the only sign found in this district.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Tasman
Tasman District street signs are unique to the south island because it is blue and always uses thinner chevrons along with mixed case capitalisation.
It sometimes has house numbers that can make it hard to distinguish from the Ashburton signs
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Buller
Buller District uses these unique signs that have a dark shade of green and strictly uses capitals with no arrows.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Grey
In towns the street signs are always boxy, and have no arrows, the capitalisation is either mixed case or all caps.
This unique sign can also be found in Westland. It has a trapezoid tip and always has house numbers that are separated with double chevrons.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Westland
This short street sign can only be found in the town of Hokitika, it is rectangular and is always capitalised. The taller sign on the right is unique to this district with two posts holding it up.
This unique sign can mostly be found in Grey but it is not that common in Westland. It has a trapezoid tip and always has house numbers that are separated with double chevrons.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Marlborough
This basic blue sign with no arrows and all capitals is the only sign found in this district
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Kaikoura
This is the only design found in the district other than the useless yellow signs.
There is pretty much no coverage here so you don’t have to consider this district as an option often.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Hurunui
Hurunui street signs are always fully capitalised and often contain house numbers that make it somewhat unique, there are also some tall distinctive signs
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Waimakariri
Waimakariri street signs are unique because it is green and rectangular. They vast majority contain an all capital street name and a mixed case suffix along with house numbers.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Christchurch
Christchurch is definitely one of the ones to remember. It is unique because it has a white/grey rectangle on the tip of the sign. Basic blue street signs are rarely found outside of the city
In the town of Akaroa many signs are black and have a fancy border and are in French because of the colonial history.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Selwyn
Selwyn street signs have a basic blue design that can be found in more urban areas.
The rural areas and smaller towns of Selwyn uses these unique white street signs similar to Masterton’s.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Ashburton
Ashburton has a blue body with chevron arrows.
This sign is unique because it always features the house number under the street name.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Timaru
Timaru’s design is always blue and boxy with mixed case.
Despite all of this, the signs are unique because they have a distinct, thick chevron.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Mackenzie
Mackenzie District signs are only in all capitals and in urban areas you can find a rectangular body and in rural areas you can find triangular and trapezoidal tips just like the Gore District.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Waimate
Waimate district signs are green, boxy and use chevrons with varying capitalisation.
The older sign, contains yellow text and can be found in most gen 3 and 2 coverage.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Waitaki
The waitaki district uses a blue body and mixed case capitalisation with no arrow.
Although this sign may seem basic, actually unique to Waitaki and Central Otago.
My only way of recognising it other than vibes is that the letter t in the font has a flat top.
This font can be seen in other street signs but the combination of a blue body and no arrows makes it unique.
All of the signs in this district are bolted onto the signpost, which is unique to Matamata-Piako, Southland, Gore and Waitaki
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
These yellow signs are very common in this district
Queenstown Lakes
The Queenstown district has blue signs with the smallest chevron. The blue variant of the sign commonly has a tipped edge that is similar to the Clutha district, it can be differentiated as Queenstown uses all capitals.
The green variant of this sign is found by Wanaka.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Central Otago
In major urban areas, the Central Otago District uses a blue body sign with mixed case capitalisation.
Although this sign may seem basic, the font is actually unique to Waitaki and Central Otago.
My only way of recognising it other than vibes is that the letter t in the font has a flat top.
This font can be seen in other street signs but the combination of a blue body and no arrows makes it unique.
A basic boxy blue sign with no arrow and all capitals can be found in rural areas and smaller towns.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Dunedin
Dunedin’s streets signs are unique because they feature a yellow triangle at the edge of the blue body.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Clutha
The Clutha District only contains this unique sign that has a triangle tipped body with a smaller chevron inside it.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
This street sign is only found in the town of Lawrence,
Gore
The Gore district always uses all capitals and has a rectangular body in the main town and a triangular tip everywhere else.
Also keep in mind that they are bolted onto the sign post
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Southland
These signs are found all over the district and have only all capitals. It is extremely common for the signs to be bolted onto the wooden post which is not common elsewhere. The green variant of this bolted sign is unique to Stewart Island.
These signs are found most commonly in the town of Te Anau in west Southland. It is very unique with its wooden frame and double chevrons.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Invercargill
The Invercargill district only contains this unique street sign that has two yellow triangles on the edge of the blue body.
Yellow: The district does contain a unique sign but there are other ordinary signs in that district / The district has a unique sign shared with another district.
Blue: Almost all signs in the district are unique or worth learning.
White: Street signs are not at all unique.
Analysis!
This chart displays the presence of all the basic blue street signs with or without triangle arrows in every district.
Please note that this graph does not mean that these will be the only street signs you will find in these districts. Many of them have their own unique signs but along with that, basic blue ones can also be found.
You can recognise that any sign with a triangle arrow is exclusive to the North Island.
Another thing to note is where signs with mixed case and an arrow can be found. This can be useful when distinguishing cities/towns as only Gisborne, Hastings and Tauranga use this design along with some smaller towns in the Matamata-Piako district.
It is also quite useful to know which districts use triangular/trapezoidal tips as these can’t be found in many districts.