Planned in 1967, work on the circuit commenced in December 1969 as part of a plan to make Dijon an automotive centre. The track was the brainchild of rugby player and wrestler François Chambelland (sometimes assumed to be the masked wrestler l'Ange Blanc) and was developed with the aid of racers Jean-Pierre Beltoise and François Cevert, as well as motoring journalist José Rosinski. Lack of support from the city government and a chronic lack of funds preceded the track's opening on 26 May 1972. Guy Ligier made the first timed lap around the circuit, and the first race for 2-litre prototypes was held ten days later, with Arturo Merzario as the inaugural winner.
The first Formula One race was run in 1974 on the circuit's original 3.289 km (2.044 mi) layout. Because the fastest lap times dropped below the one-minute mark, there was a major problem with congested traffic between the race leaders and the back-markers. Therefore, an extension was added in 1976 to lengthen the circuit and reprofile many of its corners before Formula One returned to the venue in 1977.
The 1976 extension established the current 3.801 km configuration. The track underwent further renovation in 2001, which included the addition of a go-cart track. While Formula One has not returned to Dijon since 1984, the circuit continues to be used for club-level events, motorcycle racing, and truck racing, the latter of which has been held there since 1988.
The 1979 French Grand Prix featured a memorable battle for second place in the final laps between Gilles Villeneuve's Ferrari and René Arnoux's Renault, won by Villeneuve. The race itself was won by Jean-Pierre Jabouille, marking the first Formula One victory for both Renault and a turbocharged car.
In 1982, Dijon held the last Swiss Grand Prix. Although located in France, the race was held at Dijon due to the Swiss Government's ban on motor racing following the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans disaster. Keke Rosberg, driving his Williams FW08, won his first ever Grand Prix in the 1982 Swiss race, finishing four seconds ahead of local favourite Alain Prost.
The final Formula One race at Dijon took place in 1984 and was won by Niki Lauda, who secured his third and final World Championship that year. The last Formula One pole at the circuit was set by Patrick Tambay, who recorded a 1:02.200 in a factory Renault RE50 turbo.
Long-distance racing has featured prominently at the circuit, including the World Sportscar Championship and the FIA GT Championship. Other notable series that have visited the track include the DTM (2009), International Formula 3000, and the BMW M1 Procar Championship. Currently, the circuit hosts events such as the Grand Prix de l'Age d'Or and the FFSA GT Championship.
The outright unofficial all-time track record for the full Grand Prix Circuit is 1:01.380, set by Alain Prost in a Renault RE30B during qualifying for the 1982 Swiss Grand Prix. The record for the original Short Circuit is 0:58.790, set by Niki Lauda in a Ferrari 312B3 during qualifying for the 1974 French Grand Prix.
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