The area was established as Pingyang County () in 514 BCE during the
Jin State. Pingyang County remained in effect until
Wang Mang changed the area's name to Xiangping (). In 247 CE, Pingyang County was re-established, and remained in effect until 481 CE. Six years later, in 487 CE, the county was re-established, but would intermittently be abolished and re-established until 1116. In 1116, Pingyang Fu () was established. Pingyang Fu was revoked in 1220, but would be re-established in 1368 with the establishment of the
Ming Dynasty. During the
Republic of China, the county's
Circuit and
Fu were dissolved, and the area was administered by the province.
Linfen was first established in 1948 as a
county-level division, which it remained until November 1, 2000. Upon the promotion of Linfen to a
prefecture-level division, Yaodu District was established as the county-level administrative center of the city. == Administrative divisions ==