Lintan County is subordinate to Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, known as Taozhou in ancient times. It is located in the south of Gansu Province, in the east of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, at the northeast edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and is the junction of agricultural and pastoral areas, Tibetan and Han areas. Lintan County covers a total area of 1557.68 square kilometers. It is a hilly area with an altitude of 2209-3926 meters and an average altitude of 2825 meters. The county has jurisdiction over 16 townships (towns) and 141 administrative villages. According to the data of the seventh population census, as of 0:00 on November 1, 2020, the permanent population of Lintan County was 127387. There are 10 ethnic groups, including Han, Hui, Tibetan and Mongolian, and the minority population accounts for 26% of the total population.

Lintan County has a national AAAA scenic spot, Yeliguan, Huangjianzi National Forest Park, Lianhuashan National Nature Reserve, and a provincial geological park.

In 2020, the annual gross regional product of Lintan County will reach 2613.29 million yuan, an actual increase of 3.3% over the previous year at comparable prices.

In December 2019, Lintan County won the seventh batch of national demonstration areas (units) for national unity and progress. On February 28, 2020, the People's Government of Gansu Province agreed to withdraw Lintan County from the poverty-stricken county.