Linquan County (simplified Chinese: 临泉县; traditional Chinese: 臨泉縣; pinyin: Línquán Xiàn; lit. 'near spring') is a county in the northwest of Anhui Province, China, bordering Henan province to the northwest, west, and southwest. It is the westernmost county-level division of Fuyang city. The Quan River 泉河 a tributary of the Ying River flows from its source in Henan province, through the county seat in Chengguan (城关镇; 城關鎮; Chéngguān Zhèn) and then along the county's northern border with Jieshou. According to the 2010 census, the population was 1,543,218, the area is 702 sq mi (1,820 km²). Linquan is the most populous rural county in China.

Linquan, called Shendi (沈地) in ancient times, has a history of three thousand years. The capital of Shen State (Early Zhou dynasty–c.500 BCE) was located in Linquan. The region was part of Pingyu County established in the 26th year of Qin Shihuang (221 BCE). Later it formed part of the fief held by the Marquis of Fuyang (富陽侯) established in the first year of Yongjian in the Eastern Han dynasty (126 CE).

After the Sui dynasty unified China, Emperor Kaihuang established Shen Prefecture (瀋州; Shěn Zhōu) in third year of his reign (583 CE). Baoxin County was abolished and divided into Xiyang County and Shenqiu County. In the first year of Tang Wude (618), Gaotang County was established in the southeast of this county. It was abandoned after six years and became part of Ruyin County. Meanwhile, the two counties of Xiyang and Shenqiu were abandoned and transferred to Ruyin County in the first year of Zhenguan (627). In the second year of Shenlong (706) the region was divided into Ruyin and Shenqiu Counties being administered by Yingzhou. During the Northern Song era (北宋; 4 February 960 – 20 March 1127) the area was under the jurisdiction of Shunchang prefecture (顺昌府) of Jingxibei Road. As per History of the Song Shunchang was captured by Jin during the Jin–Song Wars in 1140. At the beginning of the Ming dynasty (from 1368), Shenqiu County status was abandoned and relegated to become Shenqiu Town (沈丘镇), under administration of Yingzhou and belonged to Fengyang Mansion (凤阳府).

In 1667 Anhui Province was established by the Qing dynasty and Shenqiu Town was under the jurisdiction of Yingzhou, Anhui Province. In the 13th year of Yongzheng (1735), Yingzhou was promoted to a prefecture and the land was established as Fuyang Xixiang (阜阳西乡) in Fuyang County. The government was established at Yikou Bridge 驿口桥 (now Laoji 老集), while at Shenqiuji (沈丘集) an inspection department (设巡检司) was set up.

In September of the 23rd year of the Republic of China (1934), Fuyang Xixiang covered an area from Yinghe River in the north to Honghe River in the south, along Chapeng Road (茶棚大路), Longwangtang (龙王堂) Litodian (栗头店), Wukengji (五坑集), Oumiaoji (欧庙集), Huilongji (会龙集), and Jiulong (九龙沟). In January in the 24th year of the Republic of China (1935) a new county was formally established to the west of the ditch. Because the county seat was near the Quan River, it was named Linquan County, comprising three districts. It belonged to the seventh administrative inspection district of Anhui Province.

At the beginning of Liberation, from 36 to 38 years (1947-1949) of the Republic of China, Linquan county was again divided into three counties (Quannan 泉南, Quanyang 泉阳 and Linquan City 临泉市) under the jurisdiction of the Fourth Prefectural Committee of Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu Districts. In March 1949 those counties were abolished and the old Linquan county boundaries were restored henceforth under jurisdiction of Fuyang Prefecture firstly as part of the People's Administrative Office of Northern Anhui (Wanbei), and after Wanbei was abolished in 1952, to Anhui Province. In 1994 Fuyang was elevated to a Prefecture-level city of Anhui province.

Linquan currently (2019) consists of 5 subdistricts (Chinese: 街道; pinyin: jiēdào), 24 townships,2 townships, 1 provincial economic development zone, 1 provincial north–south industrial park. There are 395 villages (communities), distributed over these divisions.

Linquan introduced subdistricts in 2014/5, whereby Chengguan Town (Chinese: 城关镇; pinyin: Chéngguān Zhèn), Niuzhuang Township (牛庄乡) and Tianqiao Township (田桥乡) became Chengguan Subdistrict (城关街道), Xingtang Subdistrict (邢塘街道) and Tianqiao Subdistrict (田桥街道). The county government is seated at Chengguan Subdistrict.