Nowadays, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are finding increasingly widespread applications in both military and civilian sectors, and the associated technologies are advancing rapidly. As the hub and command-and-control center connecting UAV operators with the UAVs, the ground control stations (GCS) have also been experiencing rapid development. Firstly, the current article introduces the main components of the GCS, including the interface, control system, database, and communication link. Subsequently, the primary functions of the GCS are outlined, containing single-UAV control, swarm control, UAV status monitoring, payload control and mission replay. Thirdly, the study classifies UAV GCS into three categories according to the size, which are handheld, portable, and large-scale, and introduces several representative mature products for each category. Finally, the development trends of UAV GCS are forecasted, emphasizing modularization, interoperability, and intelligence.