[6][7] The town was originally built up chiefly by predominantly Czech, German, and Scandinavian settlers.

[8] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.65 square miles (6.86 km2), all land.

There were 1,669 housing units at an average density of 779.5 per square mile (301.0/km2).

Beginning in February 1996, the city was denoted the location of the "home office" that produces the Top Ten List for David Letterman's Late Show program, having relocated from Grand Rapids, Michigan.

It had the Nebraska legislature proclaim Letterman an admiral in the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska, and it inundated him with letters, postcards, and bribes of flowers, clothing, animals, alcoholic beverages, shredded money, and free checkups at the Wahoo Medical Center.

When Letterman jokingly said he wanted more, Wahoo sent him a '76 Ford Pinto with a sofa attached to the hood, a wall clock made of cow droppings, and two of the town's teenagers, brothers Jeff and Josh Price.

The nightly recap of the Top Ten List at the CBS website was titled The Wahoo Gazette.

In intercollegiate athletics, the school became nationally known as the inaugural winner of the tournament which later became known as the Women's College World Series in softball, claiming the first three national championships (1969–71).