Berlingerode is located approximately 11 kilometers northeast of Heilbad Heiligenstadt and 5 kilometers southwest of Duderstadt in the Untereichsfeld region. The district lies on the southern edge of the Eichsfeld basin and at the foot of the steep slope of the Zehnsberg. The village is framed by the Hunger Mountain (349 m) in the west, the Rotenberg (407 m) in the southwest, the Bodenberg (397 m) in the south and the Eichberg (316 m) in the east. The Finkgrabena tributary of the Eichbachwhich flows into the Hahle in Teistungen.

Berlingerode's neighboring villages are Teistungen to the northeast, Hundeshagen to the southeast, Reinholterode to the southwest, Neuendorf to the west and Bleckenrode to the northwest. The village is served by the state roads L 1009 and L 2015. Not far to the north was the former inner-German border and today's border between Thuringia and Lower Saxony.

Berlingerode was first mentioned in a document on December 5, 1266. In its district, on a mountain spur, was the Old castle or Westernhagen Castle. It was completely destroyed and demolished during the Peasants' War. Berlingerode belonged to the Electorate of Mainz until secularization in 1802. From 1802 to 1807, the village became Prussian and was then part of the Kingdom of Westphalia. From 1815, it was part of the Prussian province of Saxony (Worbis district).

Berlingerode was occupied by the US Army on April 9, 1945. This was preceded by artillery fire with two civilian deaths, damage to the church and numerous residential buildings.

From July 1945 to 1949, the village belonged to the Soviet occupation zone SBZ and became part of the GDR in 1949. From 1961 until the fall of communism and reunification in 1989/1990, Berlingerode was affected by the closure of the nearby inner-German border. Since 1990, the village has belonged to the reestablished state of Thuringia. In 1996, the newly built village community center and the rooms of the volunteer fire department were opened.

At the turn of the millennium, the economic course for the future was set with the settlement of large companies.

The municipality of Berlingerode celebrated its big anniversary in 2016. In this and the following year, 2017, the municipality celebrated its 750th anniversary with various events.