It is the last place in South Australia on the Sturt Highway before crossing into Victoria.

It is the site of a permanent fruit fly inspection checkpoint, and a large advertisement in the shape of an arc of a vehicle tyre spanning the road.

Yamba was previously served by a station on the Barmera railway line.

On the westward journey, Yamba is the first place in South Australia on the Sturt Highway, and is usually a mandatory stop at the fruit fly biosecurity checkpoint as fruit is not permitted to be carried into South Australia to preserve the state's fruit-fly-free status.

The checkpoint has operated since 1957,[3] when it was quickly established in response to a fruit fly outbreak at Mildura.