Per the Nihon Shoki, ancient Wakasa was governed by a Kuni no miyatsuko, who was a descendant of Amenohiboko, a semi-legendary prince of Shilla, who settled in Tajima province during the reign of Emperor Suinin.

The province of Wakasa was formally established with the creation of the Ritsuryō provincial system around 701 AD, and initially consisted of the two districts of Onyū and Mikata.

Due to its location and strategic importance, during the Kamakura period, the position of shugo of Wakasa Province was retained directly by the Hōjō clan.

Following the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, the victorious Tokugawa Ieyasu assigned the province to Kyōgoku Takatsugu, as daimyō of the 92,000 koku Obama Domain.

Kyōgoku Takatsugu began the construction of Obama Castle and rebuilt the ancient port town as a jōkamachi and a centre for the kitamaebune coastal trade network.

In 1865, the domain executed Mito rebellion leader Takeda Kōunsai and 353 of his followers and nominally participated in the Battle of Toba–Fushimi of the Boshin War.

Due to geography and these political changes, the area of former Wakasa Province and Tsuruga District have a separate identity, and form the Reinan (嶺南) region of modern Fukui.