Focusing on the “degree” of the localization of the board of directors, this paper analyzes the effects of local directors' individual and group on corporate innovation. It empirically examines the impact of the localization of the board of directors on corporate innovation and its heterogeneity under power and culture by matching the data of the registration place of A-share listed companies and the hometown of board members from 2007 to 2019. It finds that the localization of the board of directors and corporate innovation presents a significant inverted U relationship, which means that the temperate localization can stimulate corporate innovation, but the excessive localization is harmful to corporate innovation. Moreover, local chairman and trust culture strengthen the inverted U relationship. Further mediating analysis shows that the localization of the board of directors affects corporate innovation by influencing the level of corporate risk-taking and human capital quality. Additionally, good media attention and legal environments can weaken the negative impact. This paper enriches the research literature on the influencing factors of corporate innovation from the perspective of the board members' geographic attributes, reveals the “double-edged sword” effect of the localization of the board of directors on corporate innovation, and gives implications for promoting corporate innovation.