Sabae is part of ancient Echizen Province. During the Edo period, the area was part of the holdings of Sabae Domain. Following the Meiji restoration, it was organised into part of Imadate District in Fukui Prefecture. With the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the town of Sabae was established. It merged with the villages of Shinyokoe and Funatsu in 1948, and with the villages of Shinmei, Katakami, Nakagawa, and the villages of Tachimachi, Yoshikawa and Yutaka from Nyū District to form the city of Sabae on January 15, 1955. The city annexed the village of Kawada in March 1957. In 1995, the city was host to the World Gymnastics Championships