Annual migration, polyphagy, and a high degree of generation overlap are key features of potato leafhopper’s, Empoasca fabae (Harris), life history that need to be considered before attempting to understand the population dynamics of this species. Temperature effects on different life stages are summarized, as are the temperature-driven models that have been developed to mimic potato leafhopper population growth. Natural enemies frequently attack various potato leafhopper life stages, but they do not appear to play a significant role in leafhopper population dynamics. Host plants can have a significant influence on potato leafhopper life history traits, with the largest effects apparently on survivorship and fecundity, and lesser effects on developmental times. Host plant utilization patterns by the potato leafhopper, which are not well understood, appear to play a major role in the regional population dynamics of this insect. The role of alfalfa, a widely planted and high-quality host plant for the leafhopper, may be relatively unimportant in the overall growth of potato leafhopper populations because of the dynamics of the alfalfa harvesting cycle.