Ōtaki is on State Highway 1, about 70 km north of Wellington and 70 km south of Palmerston North. By car, the drive from Wellington takes about 55 minutes in normal traffic.
The town is served by the Metlink commuter rail network from Wellington — the Kāpiti Line runs to Ōtaki, making it one of the few small towns on the Kāpiti Coast accessible without a car from the capital. The journey takes about 1 hour 15 minutes from Wellington station. InterCity coaches also stop at Ōtaki on the Wellington–Palmerston North route.