The first local government for the township was the Upper Mahurangi Highway District, which was formed on 24 December 1864. It was one of the first highway districts to form north of the city of Auckland, and was formed to administer the road upkeep costs in the area. With the abolition of the provinces of New Zealand in 1876, Warkworth became part of Rodney County, which was formed at that time. The highway district was dissolved in 1903, and by 1909 Warkworth had grown to the point where the Warkworth Town District was established, within Rodney County. From 1989 to 2010, Warkworth was part of Rodney District.
