Entebbe means 'the seat' and it probably got that name, as it was the seat of the Baganda chief. In 1893, it became an important administrative and commercial center for the British colonial rulers. It was the seat of the government for the Protectorate of Uganda before its independence in 1962.

The city is home to Entebbe International Airport, which is Uganda's largest airport. The airport was the location of the so-called 'raid on Entebbe'. In 1976, Israeli commandos rescued 100 hostages that were held there, after their airplane had been hijacked by a group of Palestinian and German militia.

• Entebbe Golf Club was founded in 1900, making it the oldest golf course in East Africa. It is on the northern side of the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre.
• Kigungu is the place, where the first catholic missionaries arrived to establish the catholic faith in Uganda.
• The National Botanical Gardens were laid out in 1898.
• The Nkumba University.
• State House is the official residence of Uganda's President.
• The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) used to be known as Entebbe Zoo. It serves as Uganda's main zoo and it is adjacent to the Entebbe Golf Club in the south.

Entebbe sits on the northern shore of Lake Victoria, some 36 km (22 mi) south of Kampala.

Entebbe International Airport ©Micah Camper