Background <p>The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a straightforward and widely used surrogate marker for identifying insulin resistance (IR). The association between the TyG index and both macrovascular and microvascular damage remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the association between vascular damage and IR in community-dwelling adults in Yunnan Province, China.</p> Methods <p>A total of 3201 participants were involved. Ankle-brachial index (ABI), estimated glomerular filtration rate, and the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio were measured and calculated. The TyG index was calculated as ln[triglycerides (mg/dL) × fasting blood glucose (mg/dL)/2]. Logistic regression, subgroup and interaction analyses, and restricted cubic spline regression were employed to assess the relationship between the TyG index and vascular damage.</p> Results <p>In the univariate logistic regression model, a 1-unit increase in the TyG index was associated with 60.75%, 59.35%, and 129.60% higher odds of ABI ≤ 0.9 (OR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.35 to 1.91), increased albuminuria (OR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.34 to 1.89), and chronic kidney disease (CKD) (OR: 2.30, 95% CI: 1.65 to 3.20), respectively. These associations remained significant after adjustment for demographic, behavioral, and metabolic factors. The relationship between the TyG index and the presence of ABI ≤ 0.9 and increased albuminuria was not influenced by other factors (<i>p</i> for interaction &gt; 0.05). The higher odds of CKD associated with each unit rise in the TyG index was greater in participants with normal weight or normal lipid levels compared to those who were overweight/obese or had dyslipidemia (<i>p</i> for interaction &lt; 0.05). The odds of ABI ≤ 0.9 and CKD increased nonlinearly with increasing TyG index when TyG index was below 8.91, but stabilized when TyG index was exceeded 8.91 (<i>p</i> for nonlinear = 0.033). The likelihood of increased albuminuria increased with an advancing TyG index (<i>p</i> = 0.026), but the relationship was not nonlinear (<i>p</i> for nonlinear = 0.352).</p> Conclusions <p>An elevated TyG index was independently associated with an increased odds of macro- and microvascular damage, suggesting that the TyG index may serve as a biomarker for vascular damage. The relationship between CKD and IR was affected by overweight/obesity and dyslipidemia.</p> Trial registration <p>Not applicable.</p> Clinical trial number <p>Not applicable.</p>