As of the , Echuca had a population of 15,056, and the population of the combined Echuca and Moama townships was 22,568.

Echuca lies within traditional Yorta Yorta country. The town's name is a Yorta Yorta word meaning "meeting of the waters". Echuca is close to the junction of the Goulburn, Campaspe, and Murray Rivers. Its position at the