SnO2 nanorods were prepared by annealing precursor powders produced by mixing three kinds of inverse microemulsions (I muE). The microstructures of the resultant nanorods were studied by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAD). It has been found that the as-prepared materials have a rod-like shape with lengths of tens of micrometers and diameters of 30-200 nm under different conditions. We discussed the influences of temperature and surfactant on the formation of SnO2 nanorods and the mechanism of the formation of SnO2 nanorods.