It sits on Adelaide-Mannum Road, 60 km (37 mi) north-east of the state capital, Adelaide and 25 km (16 mi) north-west of Mannum.

[2] Tungkillo was originally the name of a mine located south of Palmer, which opened in 1847.

Tungkillo is a corruption of tainkila, a Peramangk Aboriginal word meaning ghost moth grubs.

[3] The historic former Terlinga Station Shearing Shed on Hoads Woolshed Road and a former grain threshing floor on Loxton Road, are both listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.

[4][5][6] Tungkillo is in the Mid Murray Council local government area, the South Australian House of Assembly electoral district of Hammond and the Australian House of Representatives Division of Barker.