河内国
In the 5th century AD, Emperor Hanzei is believed to have had his palace, , in the area. The area that now comprises Matsubara was located in the historical Kawachi Province, which is still considered the (non-municipal) subregion to which it belongs. During the Edo period, Matsubara was the administrative center of the Tannan Domain (丹南藩, "-han"), whose Tannan Encampment was located in present-day Tannan, Matsubara City.