Invercargill (Māori: 'Waihōpai') is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff, which is the southernmost town in the South Island. It sits amid rich farmland that is bordered by large areas of conservation land and marine reserves, including Fiordland National Park covering the south-west corner of the South Island.

Many streets in the city, especially in the centre and main shopping district, are named after rivers in Great Britain, mainly Scotland. These include the main streets Dee and Tay, as well as those named after the Tyne, Esk, Don, Thames, Mersey, Ness, Yarrow, Spey, and Eye rivers.

The estimated population of Invercargill City as of 2011 was 53,000. The 2006 census total was 50,328 people, an increase of 498 people (or 1.0 percent) since the 2001 census.