The Central Coast is an Australian peri-urban
region in New South Wales, located on the
coast north of Sydney and south of Lake
Macquarie.

The Central Coast has an estimated population
of 323,079 as at June 2014, growing at 1% p.a.
making it the third largest urban area in New
South Wales and the ninth largest urban area
in Australia. Geographically, the Central Coast
is generally considered to include the region
bounded by the Hawkesbury River in the south,
the Watagan Mountains in the west and the
southern end of Lake Macquarie in the north.

The region is a network of towns that have been
linked in recent years by expanding suburban
development. The main urban cluster of the region surrounds the northern shore of
Brisbane Water and includes the Coast's largest
population centre, Gosford, stretching east to
the retail centre of Erina. Other major commercial "centres" on the Coast are Wyong,
Tuggerah, Lakehaven, The Entrance, Terrigal,
and Woy Woy. Large numbers of people who
live in the southern part of the region commute
daily to work in Sydney. The Central Coast is
also a popular tourist destination and a popular
area for retirement. The Central Coast has
significant employment including services,
tourism, manufacturing, finance, building, retail
and industrial. As a result, the cultural identity
of the region is distinct from that of the large
and diverse metropolis of Sydney as well as
from the Hunter region with its mining, heavy
industry and port. On 2 December 2005, the
Central Coast was officially recognised as a
stand-alone region rather than an extension of
Sydney or the Hunter Valley.