Common bean is one of the most important food legume, and is grown in all parts of the world. In recent years, it has made great achievements in genetic map construction, development and utilization of new markers, resistance gene mapping and comparative genomics of common bean. Molecular linkage maps are an important tool for gene discovery and cloning. Detecting resistance gene by linkage maps can be used in maker-assistant-selected and improvement of common bean. Legume comparative genomics research provided a new way of developping genetic linkage map. This paper gives an overview of progress of common bean genetic linkage maps, synteny mapping between common bean and soybean and gene mapping for anthracnose resistance as to provide some new reference for genome research and molecular breeding in common bean.