Chūō-ku is one of the eight wards of Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture, in the Hokuriku region of Japan. It comprises much of the city centre. As of 1 September 2018, the ward had an estimated population of 183,231 in 87,162 households and a population density of 4,900 persons per km2. The total area of the ward was 37.75 square kilometres (14.58 sq mi).

Niigata Station is a major railway station in Chūō-ku, Niigata, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company. The station is in the center of Niigata city, the largest city on the Sea of Japan coast in Honshu. It forms the central station for the railway infrastructure along the Sea of Japan coast, and is also the terminus of the Jōetsu Shinkansen high-speed line from Tokyo.