[4] It was named for Martin McLeod, a Canadian-born adventurer who became a fur trader and later was elected a territorial representative (1849–1856) in Minnesota.

As a young man, he was part of James Dickson's 1836 expedition to the Red River of the North, a journey recounted in his Diary of Martin McLeod, a manuscript held by the Minnesota Historical Society.

[5] "In 1859 the three Czech families already living in McLeod County were joined by those of Josef Vosmek, Josef Zicha, Antonin Nunvar, and Jan Vanous, all acquaintances from Caledonia, where they had resided for several years after their arrival from Bohemia.

[4] The county was the site of several events during the Dakota War of 1862, including the siege of Hutchinson and the killing of the White family near Brownton.

Buffalo Creek also flows eastward through the lower central part of the county, thence into Wright.

The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, dotted with lakes and lightly etched by drainages and gullies.

[8] The terrain is sloped to the east, with its highest point on the upper west border at 1,096 ft (334 m) ASL.

Northeast McLeod County once had significant areas of Maple-Basswood or "Big Woods" forests.