Lower Hutt, city in New Zealand, on southern North Island, on the Hutt River, near Wellington. It is the chief industrial and residential city of the Hutt urban area. Textiles, lumber, paint, and brick and tile are manufactured here. In the adjacent Hutt Valley are Trentham Racecourse, a horseracing venue, and Upper Hutt, an agricultural center and outdoor-recreation spot. Population (1998 estimate) 98,000.