Bovine astrovirus (BoAstV) is a small, nonenveloped virus with a single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome. The virus was first identified in calves suffering diarrhea in the United Kingdom in 1978, and subsequently reported in many other countries worldwide. Eight astrovirus genotypes are considered to infect cattle: MAstV-13, MAstV-24, MAstV-28–30, and MAstV-33–35. The virus shows broad tissue tropism and can infect multiple organs, including the intestine, brain, and respiratory tract, inducing diarrhea, encephalitis, and respiratory disease. However, BoAstV is present in both healthy and clinically affected cattle and occurs most often in coinfections with other viruses. Therefore, the clinical symptoms and pathogenic mechanism of BoAstV remains unclear. Furthermore, no stable cell lines are currently available for the isolation of BoAstV, and no experiments in an animal model have been performed, making it difficult to study its pathogenic mechanism. BoAstV may be capable of cross-species transmission based on the genomic characteristics of astroviruses and its broad host specificity. In this review, the etiology, epidemiology, phylogenetic relationships, detection methods, pathogenesis, and possible cross-species transmission of BoAstV are summarized systematically to provide reference material for the prevention and control of BoAstV and other astroviruses.