The second of three brothers, Anderson was born in Houston, Texas. His father, Melver Leonard Anderson, worked in advertising and currently owns a public relations firm in Houston; his mother, Texas Ann (née Burroughs), a former archaeologist, is now a real estate agent and was the inspiration for Etheline Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums.

Anderson attended both Westchester High School and St. John's School, a private school in Houston, which he later featured as a location for his second film, Rushmore. Like Rushmore's protagonist, Max Fischer, he wrote and directed plays on the stage of St. John's now-demolished Hoodwink Theatre.

Anderson studied philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin, where he met Owen Wilson. After producing a short version of Bottle Rocket, Anderson and Wilson attracted the notice of producer James L. Brooks. With Brooks' help, the two were able to enter the short at Sundance and secure funding for a feature-length Bottle Rocket.

Anderson divides his time between New York City and Paris, France. His friends include a diverse set of fellow filmmakers, including the screenwriter-director Noah Baumbach, the actor-screenwriter Owen Wilson, and director-actress Sofia Coppola. His brother, Eric, designs both the sets and styles for his films. His older brother, Mel, is a doctor.

Wes Anderson has frequently been referenced as a cinematic auteur, as he is involved in every aspect of his films' production: writing, cinematography, production design, and music selection.

Anderson has recently acknowledged that he went to India to film his 2007 film, The Darjeeling Limited partly as a tribute to the legendary Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray, whose "films have also inspired all my other movies in different ways." He dedicated the movie to Ray's memory.

Anderson's visual style is notable, mainly in the way that he uses certain camera techniques. He frequently uses the rostrum camera technique, often to highlight ornate background detail. In addition, Anderson utilizes wide-angle anamorphic lenses that exhibit considerable barrel distortion. With the exception of The Darjeeling Limited and Fantastic Mr. Fox, all of Anderson's movies end with a slow motion shot.

The films Wes Anderson directs often use front-facing camera angles in which the actor looks directly into the lens, adding immediacy and intensity.

Anderson has been both praised and criticized for his deadpan style of humor. He also is noted for his exploration of dysfunctional families, notably in The Royal Tenenbaums and The Darjeeling Limited.

Most of his Title Cards are in this font: Futura Bold, most commonly Yellow.