Elrood was named after the Republic Senator who secured funding for its colonisation more than eight thousand years ago. It used to be a planet with a diverse ecosystem, with lush jungles, expansive plains, frigid polar caps, and a narrow ocean spanning the length of its equator that was continually subjected to strong tidal forces as a result of the planet's two lunar companions. For many centuries after its initial colonisation, the world's human inhabitants organised themselves into small agrarian societies. It was only after the descendants of Elrood's original colonists had come into contact with the other sentient species in the sector that the planet had started to gradually develop and urbanise, growing into the commercial and cultural center of the Elrood sector. Especially in recent decades, the planet has undergone a major urbanisation effort that has effectively covered all of its surface with a vast, bustling cityscape stretching from pole to pole. While not as advanced as Coruscant or some of the other coreward ecumenopoleis, the planet is the shining jewel of the Elrood sector and has served as the sector's capital for thousands of years.

Historically, there had been some mild animosity between the rural communities and the urban societies of Elrood. During the Clone Wars, however, these differences were swept aside after the Separatists succeeded in replacing the planetary administration with a puppet government loyal to their cause. Unwilling to bow down to the invaders, the citizens of Elrood banded together in a resistance movement that sought to restore the Republic-friendly administration. With the clandestine help of a couple of Jedi Knights, both the rural and urban populations were trained in the tactics of guerrilla warfare, and they ultimately managed to drive the Separatists from their world. As the planet was rebuilt, the previously existing divide between rural and urban communities was permanently bridged, and Elrood became known as an open and tolerant world.

Today, numerous species call Elrood their home, as billions of citizens live in the wake of its glistening towers and vibrant cityscape. No longer an agrarian world, much of its agricultural produce must be imported from other planets in the galaxy. Although few people remember Elrood's previous incarnation as a tranquil world centered on small communities of farmers and ranchers, its residents have maintained their quiet and familial nature, with many of its cultural celebrations remaining firmly rooted in its agrarian past.