Background: The appearance of residential courtyards in Shandong is mediocre and cannot attract the attention of designers and researchers. Objective: This study attempts to answer the characteristics of typical courtyards in Shandong by exploring the internal relationship between typical residential courtyards in Shandong and regional culture. Methods: With literature, field, and image analysis, more than 100 village sites were investigated to determine the relationship between the form, distribution, and type of typical courtyard in Shandong and regional culture. Results: Based on the imaging method, the structural classification of the courtyard was consistent with the regional division in the Northern Song Dynasty. At the same time, the regional culture formed by river, coast, and mountain terrain is also an important factor affecting the distribution. Conclusion: The appearance of typical courtyard buildings in the Shandong region is weakened, emphasizing sociality and sustainability as the main characteristics.