Echizen is located in central Fukui Prefecture, bordered by mountains on three sides.
The modern city of Echizen was established on October 1, 2005, from the merger of the city of Takefu and the town of Imadate (from Imadate District); although the Echizen Basin has been an important regional center for over 1,500 years. The city is home to the largest number of cultural assets in Fukui Prefecture and has many former castle sites and prehistoric archeological sites.
Echizen has a Humid climate (Köppen Cfa) influenced by its proximity to the Sea of Japan, and is characterized by warm, wet summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall.
