Archaeological artifacts dating back to the time of Neanderthals have been uncovered at Dijon, but the earliest written record of human inhabitation show that the city was founded by the Romans as Castrum Divionese. The settlement was of minor importance, but during the frequent wars of the Dark Ages, Dijon was sacked, burned and rebuilt several times. The city rose to much greater prominence in 1015, when Robert I proclaimed Dijon as the capital of his duchy, Burgundy. From about 1100 to about 1450, the city was home to the provincial duke and a major center of science and trade. In the 1400s, especially, manufacturing became very popular; main economics streets from the medieval ages still run through town today. The Rues des Forges, Vauban, Verrerie and Berbisey, for example, hold the mansions of several wealthy merchants from the early Renaissance era.

Dijon continued to serve as the capital of Burgundy when the duchy was annexed by King Louis XI of France, who promised to allow the region a certain degree of autonomy. The city underwent some significant modernization during the 1700s and 1800s. Most notably, a railway from Paris to the Côte d’Azur on the Mediterranean was constructed through Dijon, bringing the area a great deal of traffic and commerce.

Unlike many other French cities, Dijon escaped severe war damages, despite being invaded during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. As a result, 60% of the buildings in the Centre Ville are over 200 years old, and many of them date from the Renaissance or even medieval times.