It can be read from the Livonian Chronicle of Henry that the history of the county goes back to the 13th century when the Germans conquered the settlement.

Historians suggest that the Säde River was the borderline, flowing through the northern part of Tireli Bog and falling into Lake Burtnieks.

Meadows and forests surrounding the big Tireli Bog and the upper stream of the River Säde were probably even wider and impassable at that time and therefore functioning perfectly as a border.

On 12 February 1919, the Government of the Republic of Estonia issued a regulation of constitution of Valga County, consisting of the territories gained during the Estonian War of Independence.

Ten parishes were left: Helme, Hummuli, Kaagjärve, Karula, Kuigatsi, Põdrala, Sangaste, Taheva, Tõlliste and Vaoküla.

Tõrva and the village soviets of Haabsaare, Helme, Koorküla, Mõniste, Riidaja and Taagepera were united to Valga district.

In December 1989, the chairman of the former Executive Committee of the Valga District, Uno Heinla, was elected as the inaugural county governor following Estonia's reestablished independence.

Aakre - Aitsra - Ala - Alamõisa - Arula - Astuvere - Atra - Hargla - Hellenurme - Holdre - Iigaste - Ilmjärve - Jaanikese - Jeti - Jõgeveste - Kaagjärve - Kalliküla - Kalme - Karjatnurme - Karu - Karula - Kassiratta - Kastolatsi - Kaubi - Kaurutootsi - Keeni - Kibena - Killinge - Kirbu - Kirikuküla - Kiviküla - Koigu - Koikküla - Koiva - Kolli - Komsi - Koobassaare - Koorküla - Korijärve - Korkuna - Kuigatsi - Kulli - Kungi - Kurevere - Käärikmäe - Kääriku - Kähri - Kähu - Laanemetsa - Lauküla - Leebiku - Lepa - Linna - Liva - Londi - Lossiküla - Lota - Lusti - Lutike - Lutsu - Lõve - Lüllemäe - Makita - Meegaste - Miti - Muhkva - Mustumetsa - Mäeküla - Mäelooga - Mägestiku - Mägiste - Mäha - Märdi - Möldre - Neeruti - Nõuni - Nüpli - Otepää - Paju - Palamuste - Palupera - Pastaku - Patküla - Pedajamäe - Pedaste - Piiri - Pikasilla - Pikkjärve - Pilkuse - Pilpa - Plika - Pori - Prange - Priipalu - Pringi - Pugritsa - Puide - Purtsi - Põru - Päidla - Pühajärve - Pühaste - Raavitsa - Rampe - Ransi - Raudsepa - Rebasemõisa - Rebaste - Restu - Reti - Riidaja - Ringiste - Risttee - Roobe - Rulli - Ruuna - Räbi - Sarapuu - Sihva - Sooblase - Soontaga - Sooru - Supa - Taagepera - Tagula - Taheva - Tiidu - Tinu - Truuta - Tsirgumäe - Tõlliste - Tõrvase - Tõutsi - Uniküla - Uralaane - Urmi - Vaalu - Vaardi - Valtina - Vanamõisa - Vana-Otepää - Vidrike - Vilaski - Voorbahi - Väheru - Väljaküla - Õlatu - Õruste - Ädu As of 1 January 2014, the population of Valga County was 30,176 – 47.5% of men and 52.5% of women.

In the northern part the landscape is characterized by small drumlins, the low and wet areas are covered with meadows and forests.

Light-coloured sandstones from the Middle Devonian Burtniek stage, clay and marl layers are spread on the majority of the territory of the county.

On the narrow stripe of the county's northern part, the sandstones of the Middle Devonian Aruküla Stage become visible.

From the aspect of engineering geology, the ground of the county is mostly of good load-capacity, but the relief can be an obstacle for construction works.

Family physician Merike Ausmees has the longest practice list of 2,500 patients, serving the areas of Tõrva Town, Helme and Põdrala Parish.

The most well-known and most visited tourism magnet is Otepää which also bears the title of Winter Capital each year from 21 December to 20 March, since 1996.

The most well-known and most visited tourism magnet is Otepää which also bears the title of Winter Capital each year from 21 December to 20 March, since 1996.

Põdrala Parish: Pikassilla resting area with the River Väike-Emajõgi flowing into Lake Võrtsjärv, birth places of Henrik Visnapuu and Johann Paul.

The best-known writer of Valga County is Hella Wuolijoki (1886-1954) from the village of Ala, known world-wide by her plays written in Finnish, giving an overview of life in Finland.

The plot of the novel "Toomas Nipernaadi", written by August Gailit (1891–1960), is not factually related to the birthplace of the author but the main character has the local prototype from Valga County.

The story of her novel "Hallid luiged" ("Grey swans"; 1986) takes place in a small town called Tõrvatu (Tõrva) and in Valga.

One of the most famous short story writers of Estonia, Mats Traat, was born in 1936 in Palupera Parish, in the village of Meema.

Jakob Hurt, a folklorist and a linguist, also the excitor of the Estonian public life, worked as a teacher in Otepää in the years 1872–1880.

A Finnish-Swedish writer Ester Ståhlberg (1870-1950) wrote about Jakob Hurt and his life in Otepää in her historical novel "Towards the Sunrise".

He won the "Tuglas Short Story Award" three times and he was the cavalier of "4th Class Order of National Coat of Arms".

Actress Silvia Laidla (1927–2012) was born in Valga and spent over fifty years on the stage and appeared in films, television and radio.

Bruno Junk, a racewalker, was born in Valga and he has won two Olympic bronze medals – one from Helsinki in 1952 and one from Melbourne in 1956.

Pavel Loskutov is a light-athlete from Valga (precisely from the area of Valka) and he has participated Olympic Games for four times.

His coach was Raimond Luts and his best result is a silver medal in men's marathon run from European Championships in 2002.

Many Cross Country World Cup competitions have been organised in Otepää, the wintersports and skiing town of Valga County.

Kaarel Zilmer, a well-known sports teacher and the leader of the Estonian Ski Team of two Olympic Games, comes from the former Kaagjärve Parish.

The upper part is dark blue and there are four five-branch silver stars (the number of former districts that formed the present-day Valga County).