diff --git a/src/demo-app/input/input-demo.html b/src/demo-app/input/input-demo.html
index bd79e8ccf017..2130e211064e 100644
--- a/src/demo-app/input/input-demo.html
+++ b/src/demo-app/input/input-demo.html
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@
         <td><md-input placeholder="Long Last Name That Will Be Truncated" style="width: 100%"></md-input></td>
       </tr></table>
       <p>
-        <md-input class="demo-full-width" placeholder="Address" value="1600 Amphitheatre Pkway"></md-input>
-        <md-input class="demo-full-width" placeholder="Address 2"></md-input>
+        <md-textarea class="demo-full-width" placeholder="Address" value="1600 Amphitheatre Pkway"></md-textarea>
+        <md-textarea class="demo-full-width" placeholder="Address 2"></md-textarea>
       </p>
       <table style="width: 100%" cellspacing="0"><tr>
         <td><md-input class="demo-full-width" placeholder="City" value="Mountain View"></md-input></td>
@@ -39,15 +39,23 @@
 <md-card class="demo-card demo-basic">
   <md-toolbar color="primary">Divider Colors</md-toolbar>
   <md-card-content>
+    <h4>Input</h4>
     <md-input dividerColor="primary" placeholder="Default Color" value="example"></md-input>
     <md-input dividerColor="accent" placeholder="Accent Color" value="example"></md-input>
     <md-input dividerColor="warn" placeholder="Warn Color" value="example"></md-input>
+
+    <h4>Textarea</h4>
+    <md-textarea dividerColor="primary" placeholder="Default Color" value="example"></md-textarea>
+    <md-textarea dividerColor="accent" placeholder="Accent Color" value="example"></md-textarea>
+    <md-textarea dividerColor="warn" placeholder="Warn Color" value="example"></md-textarea>
+
   </md-card-content>
 </md-card>
 
 <md-card class="demo-card demo-basic">
   <md-toolbar color="primary">Hints</md-toolbar>
   <md-card-content>
+    <h4>Input</h4>
     <p>
       <md-input placeholder="Character count (100 max)" maxLength="100" class="demo-full-width"
                 value="Hello world. How are you?"
@@ -55,6 +63,15 @@
         <md-hint align="end">{{characterCountHintExample.characterCount}} / 100</md-hint>
       </md-input>
     </p>
+
+    <h4>Textarea</h4>
+    <p>
+      <md-textarea placeholder="Character count (100 max)" maxLength="100" class="demo-full-width"
+                value="Hello world. How are you?"
+                #characterCountHintExample>
+        <md-hint align="end">{{characterCountHintExample.characterCount}} / 100</md-hint>
+      </md-textarea>
+    </p>
   </md-card-content>
 </md-card>
 
diff --git a/src/demo-app/input/input-demo.ts b/src/demo-app/input/input-demo.ts
index 36891a409f01..49dcfe0f56a8 100644
--- a/src/demo-app/input/input-demo.ts
+++ b/src/demo-app/input/input-demo.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ export class InputDemo {
     { value: 40 },
     { value: 50 },
   ];
+  rows = 8;
 
   addABunch(n: number) {
     for (let x = 0; x < n; x++) {
diff --git a/src/lib/input/README.md b/src/lib/input/README.md
index 81eaa2dbf22c..dc0ca061c255 100644
--- a/src/lib/input/README.md
+++ b/src/lib/input/README.md
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-# mdInput
+# mdInput / mdTextarea
 
 Inputs are the basic input component of Material 2. The spec can be found [here](https://www.google.com/design/spec/components/text-fields.html).
 
 
 
 ## Notes
-* The `<md-input>` component fully support two-way binding of `ngModel`, as if it was a normal `<input>`.
+* The `<md-input>` / `<md-textara>` component fully support two-way binding of `ngModel`, as if it was a normal `<input>` and `<textarea>`.
 
 
 
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ The valid `type` attribute values are any supported by your browser, with the ex
 
 ## Placeholder
 
-A placeholder is an indicative text displayed in the input zone when the input does not contain text. When text is present, the indicative text will float above this input zone. 
+A placeholder is an indicative text displayed in the input zone when the input does not contain text. When text is present, the indicative text will float above this input zone.
 
 You can set the `floatingPlaceholder` attribute to `false` to hide the indicative text instead when text is present in the input.
 
@@ -106,6 +106,14 @@ export class MyComponent implements OnInit {
 }
 ```
 
+## Textareas
+
+```html
+<md-textarea placeholder="Textarea with autosize"></md-textarea>
+```
+
+### Example
+
 ## Full Forms
 
 You can make a full form using inputs, and it will support autofill natively.
@@ -125,8 +133,8 @@ You can make a full form using inputs, and it will support autofill natively.
         <td><md-input placeholder="Long Last Name That Will Be Truncated" style="width: 100%"></md-input></td>
       </tr></table>
       <p>
-        <md-input class="demo-full-width" placeholder="Address" value="1600 Amphitheatre Pkway"></md-input>
-        <md-input class="demo-full-width" placeholder="Address 2"></md-input>
+        <md-textarea class="demo-full-width" placeholder="Address" value="1600 Amphitheatre Pkway"></md-textarea>
+        <md-textarea class="demo-full-width" placeholder="Address 2"></md-textarea>
       </p>
       <table style="width: 100%" cellspacing="0"><tr>
         <td><md-input class="demo-full-width" placeholder="City"></md-input></td>
diff --git a/src/lib/input/input.html b/src/lib/input/input.html
index bb11bc1ea131..5b6924d94813 100644
--- a/src/lib/input/input.html
+++ b/src/lib/input/input.html
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
     <div class="md-input-infix">
       <input #input
+             *ngIf="_elementType === 'input'"
              class="md-input-element"
              [class.md-end]="align == 'end'"
              [attr.aria-label]="ariaLabel"
@@ -34,6 +35,37 @@
              [(ngModel)]="value"
              (change)="_handleChange($event)">
 
+      <textarea
+             #input
+             *ngIf="_elementType === 'textarea'"
+             class="md-input-element  md-input-element-textarea"
+             [class.md-end]="align == 'end'"
+             [attr.aria-label]="ariaLabel"
+             [attr.aria-labelledby]="ariaLabelledBy"
+             [attr.aria-disabled]="ariaDisabled"
+             [attr.aria-required]="ariaRequired"
+             [attr.aria-invalid]="ariaInvalid"
+             [attr.autocomplete]="autocomplete"
+             [attr.autocapitalize]="autocapitalize"
+             [attr.cols]="cols"
+             [attr.rows]="rows"
+             [attr.wrap]="wrap"
+             [autofocus]="autofocus"
+             [disabled]="disabled"
+             [id]="inputId"
+             [attr.maxlength]="maxlength"
+             [attr.minlength]="minlength"
+             [readonly]="readonly"
+             [required]="required"
+             [spellcheck]="spellcheck"
+             [attr.tabindex]="tabindex"
+             [attr.name]="name"
+             (focus)="_handleFocus($event)"
+             (blur)="_handleBlur($event)"
+             [(ngModel)]="value"
+             (change)="_handleChange($event)"></textarea>
+
+
       <label class="md-input-placeholder"
              [attr.for]="inputId"
              [class.md-empty]="empty"
diff --git a/src/lib/input/input.scss b/src/lib/input/input.scss
index 19bdefd6d3c2..228b371ca432 100644
--- a/src/lib/input/input.scss
+++ b/src/lib/input/input.scss
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ $md-input-underline-disabled-background-image:
   width: 100% / $md-input-floating-placeholder-scale-factor;
 }
 
-md-input {
+md-input, md-textarea {
   display: inline-block;
   position: relative;
   font-family: $md-font-family;
diff --git a/src/lib/input/input.spec.ts b/src/lib/input/input.spec.ts
index 6f53fd3797ff..d1591c615210 100644
--- a/src/lib/input/input.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/input/input.spec.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ describe('MdInput', function () {
         MdInputTextTestController,
         MdInputPasswordTestController,
         MdInputNumberTestController,
+        MdTextareaWithBindings,
       ],
     });
 
@@ -611,12 +612,28 @@ describe('MdInput', function () {
 
   it('supports a name attribute', () => {
     let fixture = TestBed.createComponent(MdInputWithNameTestController);
+
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
     const inputElement: HTMLInputElement = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('input'))
         .nativeElement;
-    fixture.detectChanges();
 
     expect(inputElement.name).toBe('some-name');
   });
+
+  describe('md-textarea', () => {
+    it('supports the rows, cols, and wrap attributes', () => {
+      let fixture = TestBed.createComponent(MdTextareaWithBindings);
+
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+
+      const textarea: HTMLTextAreaElement = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('textarea');
+      expect(textarea.rows).toBe(4);
+      expect(textarea.cols).toBe(8);
+      expect(textarea.wrap).toBe('hard');
+    });
+  });
+
 });
 
 @Component({template: `<md-input id="test-id"></md-input>`})
@@ -789,3 +806,11 @@ class MdInputPasswordTestController {
 class MdInputNumberTestController {
   placeholder: string = '';
 }
+
+@Component({template:
+    `<md-textarea [rows]="rows" [cols]="cols" [wrap]="wrap" placeholder="Snacks"></md-textarea>`})
+class MdTextareaWithBindings {
+  rows: number = 4;
+  cols: number = 8;
+  wrap: string = 'hard';
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/input/input.ts b/src/lib/input/input.ts
index ee569594a2f9..3d8b10a3c613 100644
--- a/src/lib/input/input.ts
+++ b/src/lib/input/input.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import {Observable} from 'rxjs/Observable';
 
 const noop = () => {};
 
+
 export const MD_INPUT_CONTROL_VALUE_ACCESSOR: any = {
   provide: NG_VALUE_ACCESSOR,
   useExisting: forwardRef(() => MdInput),
@@ -86,14 +87,13 @@ export class MdHint {
   @Input() align: 'start' | 'end' = 'start';
 }
 
-
 /**
  * Component that represents a text input. It encapsulates the <input> HTMLElement and
  * improve on its behaviour, along with styling it according to the Material Design.
  */
 @Component({
   moduleId: module.id,
-  selector: 'md-input',
+  selector: 'md-input, md-textarea',
   templateUrl: 'input.html',
   styleUrls: ['input.css'],
   providers: [MD_INPUT_CONTROL_VALUE_ACCESSOR],
@@ -167,6 +167,11 @@ export class MdInput implements ControlValueAccessor, AfterContentInit, OnChange
   @Input() type: string = 'text';
   @Input() name: string = null;
 
+  // textarea-specific
+  @Input() rows: number = null;
+  @Input() cols: number = null;
+  @Input() wrap: 'soft' | 'hard' = null;
+
   private _floatingPlaceholder: boolean = true;
   private _autofocus: boolean = false;
   private _disabled: boolean = false;
@@ -229,6 +234,15 @@ export class MdInput implements ControlValueAccessor, AfterContentInit, OnChange
 
   @ViewChild('input') _inputElement: ElementRef;
 
+  _elementType: 'input' | 'textarea';
+
+  constructor(elementRef: ElementRef) {
+    // Set the element type depending on normalized selector used(md-input / md-textarea)
+    this._elementType = elementRef.nativeElement.nodeName.toLowerCase() === 'md-input' ?
+        'input' :
+        'textarea';
+  }
+
   /** Set focus on input */
   focus() {
     this._inputElement.nativeElement.focus();