Telupid was first settled around 1940s and became the major route for the Sandakan Death Marches during World War II.

[1] In 1968, as part of the wider Colombo Plan initiative, a major road begun to be constructed connecting Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu.

The road was finally completed in 1978, making driving possible between the west and east coast of Sabah with relative ease.

From 2017, more development began to be carried out due to its strategic location in the middle of Sabah and its continued importance as a stopover point for travelers plying between the coasts of the state.

[2] Telupid has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with heavy rainfall year-round.