Zinc oxide's (ZnO) physical and chemical properties make it a viable and extremely attractive compound to use in a variety of nanotechnology applications. Some of these applications include biomedical, energy, sensors, and optics. As the research in ZnO nanostructures continue to grow, it has inspired a whole host of new innovative applications. Complementing its unique chemical qualities, it also has a simple crystal-growth technology and offers significantly lower fabrication costs when compared to other semiconductors used in nanotechnology. Several processes have been developed in order to synthesize high quality ZnO nanostructures-specifically in the case of nanowires. Here we offer a comprehensive review on the growth methods currently employed in research, industry, and academia to understand what protocols are available to meet specific needs in nanotechnology. Methods examined include: the vapor-liquid-solid, physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, and the hydrothermal-based chemical approach. Each of these methods is discussed and their strengths and weaknesses are analyzed with objective comparison metrics. In addition, we study the current state-of-the-art applications employing ZnO nanostructures at their core. A historical perspective on the evolution of the field and the accompanying literature are also presented.