Oyabe has a humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall.

[2] Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Oyabe has declined in recent decades.

The area of present-day Oyabe was part of ancient Etchū Province and developed as a post station on the Hokuriku kaidō highway during the Edo period.

It was raised to city status upon merging with the town of Tochu on August 1, 1962, and was renamed Oyabe.

[citation needed] Oyabe has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 1６ members.