[5] McIntosh County lies on the south line of North Dakota.

The terrain consists of rolling hills dotted with lakes and ponds, and with occasional protuberances.

[6] The terrain slopes to the south, with its highest point on the north line at 2,156 ft (657 m) ASL.

The only Democrats to carry McIntosh County have been Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936 and 1932, plus Al Smith in 1928.

[17] and 1952[18] elections the Republican presidential candidate received over ninety percent of the county's vote.

[19] Donald Trump won seventy-seven percent of the vote in 2016, the best result in the county since Ronald Reagan.

As part of District 28 it is represented in the North Dakota Senate by Robert S. Erbele (R) and in the North Dakota House of Representatives by Mike Brandenburg (R) and Jeffery Magrum (R).