Maqu County, subordinate to Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu Province, is located in the southwest of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu Province, at the eastern end of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, at the junction of Gansu, Qinghai and Sichuan provinces, and at the first bend of the Yellow River. It is located between 100 ° 45 ′ 45 ″ - 102 ° 29 ′ 00 ″ E and 33 ° 06 ′ 30 ″ - 34 ° 30 ′ 15 ″ N. It is bounded by Luqu County in the northeast by Xiting Mountain, neighboring Ruoergai County and Aba County of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province in the southeast, Jiuzhi County, Gande County and Maqin County of Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province in the southwest and northwest, and Henan Mongolian Autonomous County of Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province in the north. The county has a total area of 10190 square kilometers, an altitude of 3300-4806 meters, an annual average temperature of 2.9 ℃, an average precipitation of 611.9 mm, and a cold and humid climate without absolute frost-free period. As of October 2021, Maqu County has jurisdiction over 6 towns, 2 townships and 41 administrative villages with 1 site and 1 station.

Maqu County has a total area of 10190 square kilometers and a total population of 54900 (2011), of which Tibetans account for two-thirds, with an average altitude of 3700 meters. Maqu belonged to the Qiang nationality area in ancient times. It became a nomadic place for the Tibetan people only after Tibet unified the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in 663 AD.

According to the data of the seventh population census, as of 0:00 on November 1, 2020, the permanent population of Maqu County was 57076. In 2020, the annual GDP of Maqu County reached 2163.78 million yuan, a decrease of 2.4% over the previous year at comparable prices.

On April 28, 2019, the Gansu Provincial Government approved Maqu County to officially withdraw from the poverty-stricken county.