Taumarunui is a small town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand. It is on an alluvial plain set within rugged terrain on the upper reaches of the Whanganui River, 65 km south of Te Kuiti and 55 km west of Turangi. It is under the jurisdiction of Ruapehu District and Manawatū-Whanganui region. Its population is 4,840 as of June 2022, making it the largest centre for a considerable distance in any direction. It is on State Highway 4 and the North Island Main Trunk railway.