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Town in Waikato, New Zealand

Prior to the arrival of Europeans there were a number of Maori pā in the vicinity of what would become Cambridge. In the 1850s missionaries and farmers from Britain settled in the area and introduced modern farming practices to local Maori, helping them set up two flour mills and importing grinding wheels from England and France. During the 1850s, wheat was a profitable crop but when merchants in Auckland began purchasing cheaper grain from Australia the market went into decline. The European town of Cambridge was established when the 3rd Regiment of the Waikato Militia were settled there in 1864 following the Invasion of the Waikato. The town was named after Prince George, Duke of Cambridge, the Commander in Chief of the British Army at the time. Electric street lights were first switched on in 1922.

Cambridge is administered by the Waipa District Council. It is the largest town in the District, but not the seat of the council, which is at Te Awamutu. Nationally, Cambridge is part of the general electorate and the Māori electorate.

Cambridge's main sources of employment and income come from dairy farming, tourism, the equine industry and sport. Dairy farming provides more than one in 10 jobs in the Waipa District. The tourism industry supports 12.7% of jobs in Waipa District. The equine industry provides more than 600 jobs in the Waikato, with many based in and around Cambridge. It is estimated that one in five Cambridge residents work in nearby Hamilton.

Cambridge lies adjacent to State Highway 1, which connects the town with Hamilton in the northwest and Tauranga, Rotorua and Taupō in the southeast. Access to Cambridge from the north is via the Cambridge Road and Victoria Road interchanges, and from the south is via the Tirau Road interchange. Prior to the Waikato Expressway extension opening in December 2015, SH 1 ran through the centre of Cambridge, though in 1985 it had been diverted from the main shopping street, to run via Carters Flat. State Highway 1B leaves SH 1 at the Victoria Road interchange and provides a route north to SH 1 at Taupiri, providing a route north towards Auckland while bypassing Hamilton to the east. Hamilton Airport, 18 minutes drive from Cambridge, is the nearest airport and provides daily flights to all New Zealand's main centres. A public bus service connects Cambridge with central Hamilton via Tamahere and Waikato University several times daily. Cambridge was formerly the terminus of the Cambridge Branch railway, but this closed beyond Hautapu in 1999. Until the railway was built the Waikato River was the main form of transport, Cambridge being the limit of navigation. Steamers continued to serve Cambridge until the 1930s. The wharf was near the Karapiro Stream, where the river was wide enough for steamers to turn.

There are a number of nearby rural districts which identify socially and economically with Cambridge. These districts would typically have a few hundred residents, a primary school and a community hall for local social events. In the early 20th century, many of these districts also had their own small milk processing factories. These districts are Bruntwood, French Pass, Goodwood/Fencourt, Hautapu, Hora Hora, Karapiro, Kaipaki, Maungatautari, Te Miro, and Whitehall

Cambridge and the surrounding district is host to many sporting, cultural and trade events. More than 120,000 visitors attend the National Agricultural Fieldays every year at the Mystery Creek Events Centre between Cambridge and Hamilton. Every summer, Lake Karapiro hosts the Waka Ama Sprint National Championships and the hydroplane racing as part of the New Zealand Grand Prix Circuit. In February, the Keyte Watson Polo Tournament takes place at Leamington, Cambridge. Every March, Cambridge holds its four day Autumn Festival and in December, a Christmas Festival (including a town parade) takes place. Cambridge's local annual event is the Battle of the Bridges, a rugby and netball competition between the two sports clubs in Cambridge, Leamington and Hautapu, however the trophy is awarded to the winning team in the rugby match. The event takes place in August each year. The first ever match between
the two sides, in 2013, ended in a 0–0 draw.

Switch FM is a local radio station. Cambridge also has two local newspapers, the Cambridge News and the Cambridge Edition. There is also a lively Facebook page that is used to share and request information and resources.

Cambridge High School is the town's co educational state secondary school for Year 9 to 13 students, with a roll of as of Cambridge Middle School is the town's intermediate school for Year 7 to 10 students, with a roll of
The town has three state primary schools for Year 1 to 6 students: Cambridge East School with a roll of ; Cambridge School, with a roll of ; Leamington School, with a roll of
Cambridge also has two non state schools with similar names. St. Peter's School is a co educational Anglican private (independent) school for Year 7 to 13 students, with a roll of
St Peter's Catholic School is a co educational Roman Catholic integrated primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of .