The town is on the Sunraysia Highway, 33 kilometres (21 mi) north west of Ballarat and split between the Pyrenees Shire, Hepburn Shire and City of Ballarat local government areas.

[1] The town is known for the Waubra Wind Farm, one of the largest windfarms in Australia.

[2] The town was named after the local Wathaurong tribe "Waubra" that populated the area prior to European settlement.

The centenary of the town was celebrated in 1939 marking 100 years since Major Mitchell's sighting of the area.

Due to the proximity to Ballarat and struggling local industry, many people commute to the city by motor vehicle for work - the 2016 census found that 67.5% of employed people travelled by car (either as driver or as passenger).