The county spans 2,374 square kilometres (917 sq mi) and had a total population of 61,998 people as of 2021.

The human presence in the lands of modern Kukës County can be traced back to the Bronze Ages, when ancient Illyrians, Dardanians and Romans established settlements in the region.

[4] Several Illyrian tombs were discovered in the villages of Këneta and Kolsh close to Kukës.

Kukës is one of 12 counties of Albania, located in the north and northeast of the Northern Region.

[9] The Albanian Alps are a high mountain range running through Tropojë across the northwest of the county.

The northeast contain high and steep peaks including Gjallica, Koritnik and Pashtrik.

The northern and eastern bound of the county forms a part of the European Green Belt, which serves as a retreat for endangered mammal and plant species.

[10][11] Furthermore, the Gashi River was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Primeval beech forests of the Carpathians and other regions of Europe.

[15] There has been a surge of tourists ever since the grand opening of Kukës International Airport Zayed in 2021.

Prior to the collapse, Kukës industry was rug making, agriculture and textiles.

[19] However, in 2021, Edi Rama opened up Albania's second international Airport in Kukës to revive the stagnant economy there.