When the Kamigyo and Simogyo wards were established under Gun-ku-cho-son Henseiho (Act for the Alignment of Local Government Systems), Sanjo-dori Street was used as the boundary between the two wards; Kamigyo Ward was defined as being north of it, and Shimogyo Ward was defined as being south of it.
郡区町村編制法により上京区・下京区が置かれたとき、この三条通を境として北が上京区、南が下京区とされた。