Located near the M1 motorway, the village is about 2 miles (3.2 km) north-west of Newport Pagnell and 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north of Central Milton Keynes.

The village is separated from its neighbour and namesake Great Linford (and the rest of the Milton Keynes urban area) by the floodplain of the River Great Ouse.

The traditional parish name 'Linford' is an Old English language word that means 'ford where maple trees grow'.

Little Linford Wood is owned by Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.

Today it is one of the best habitats for dormice, which were transferred to Little Linford Wood from Kent when the Channel Tunnel rail link was being constructed.