Black and odorous water is an extreme water pollution phenomenon that is a common problem in many cities, seriously affecting the well-being and satisfaction of residents. Therefore, addressing the issue of urban black and odorous water is urgent. Scientifically monitoring the urban black and odorous condition of water is the first step in the remediation of black and odorous water, providing accurate targets for subsequent assessment. Compared to traditional ground-based monitoring methods, remote sensing is a more effective way to discover black and odorous water, allowing for a wider and more rapid identification of black and odorous water areas and timely comprehensive representation of the spatiotemporal evolution of black and odorous water. This paper reviews the main research advances in remote sensing monitoring of urban black and odorous water. First, it briefly introduces the overview of black and odorous water, summarizes the remote sensing feature, and common data sources for urban black and odorous water. Second, it discusses in detail the methods for remote sensing identification and classification of urban black and odorous water and compares the applicability and advantages and disadvantages of each method. Finally, it summarizes the current status of remote sensing research on urban black and odorous water and its shortcomings and looks forward to future development directions. The aim is to provide reference and thinking for related research and better decision support for the long-term management of black and odorous water.