Crop residue, as an important element of agro-ecosystem, can influence the flow of nutrients, carbon, water, and energy in agro-ecosystem. As a crucial indicator of distribution of crop residue, crop residue fractional cover is a key parameter of agro-ecosystem carbon cycle process model. Since remote sensing can easily obtain quantities of data, many researches were carried out on monitoring crop residue fractional cover with remote sensing. The present paper summarizes crop residue fractional cover estimation methods and latest progress in remote sensing, and these methods are classified into five categories according to the differences in methodologies and data sources. The principle of every method is described and compared. The advantages and shortages are also discussed and analyzed. Eventually, this paper points out some methods that should be improved, and presents the prospects of crop residue fractional cover estimation in the future.