It is 56 miles (90 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street[1] and is situated between Hythe to the west and Alresford to the east.

It has two platforms, a staffed ticket office, and is currently operated by Abellio Greater Anglia, which also runs all trains serving the station.

From July 1879 its name was spelt Wyvenhoe; in October 1911 it reverted to the original spelling, Wivenhoe.

[2] A few hundred metres east of the station there was a junction for the single-track branch line to Brightlingsea.

This branch was opened in April 1866 and closed as part of the Beeching cuts in June 1964 and the tracks lifted.