Xunhua Salar Autonomous County is located in the eastern part of Qinghai Province, the eastern section of Laji Mountain, the branch of Qilian Mountains. It borders Jishishan County and Linxia County of Gansu Province in the east, Xiahe County of Gansu Province and Tongren County of Qinghai Province in the south, Jianzha County in the west, and Hualong Hui Autonomous County and Minhe Hui Tu Autonomous County of Qinghai Province in the north, with a total area of 2100 square kilometers. By 2011, there are 154 administrative villages in 3 towns and 6 townships. By the end of 2019, Xunhua Salar Autonomous County had a registered population of 165,082.

Xunhua Salar Autonomous County is located in the edge of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, high in the south and low in the north, surrounded by mountains and valleys. The air flow rises and the annual average temperature is 8.7℃. In recent ten years, with the global temperature rising, the annual average temperature is more than 9℃. No heat in summer, no cold in winter. With an average altitude of 2200 meters, it is one of the lower elevations in Qinghai Province. The valley averages 1,850 meters above sea level. The Yellow River flows through 79 kilometers, the national large-scale power station Gongboxia, Jishi Gorge power station are in the county border two gorges at the east end. National nature reserve Mengda Tianchi as the focus of the natural geography, cultural landscape connotation is rich, ethnic customs is very unique, is one of the best tourism areas in the province.

On September 29, 2018, the People's Government of Qinghai Province approved and issued an announcement, approving Xunhua Salar Autonomous County, which was scheduled to be removed from poverty county in 2017.
In 2020, the county's gross domestic product reached 3.767 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 4.5%.