In ancient times San Pablo was known as the upland village of Sampalok. It was a large and prospering hamlet in the town of Bay Laguna which was surrounded by mountain ranges and quiescent volcanic peaks and where caesal piniaceus tamarind or sampaloc trees grew in wild abundance.

This Village at the edge of the lake was originally inhabited by Aetas, Dumagats and Muslims who migrated from Mindanao

• 1571
  Arrival of Spanish troops under Captain Juan de Salcedo in the village of Sampalok.
• 1586
  Sampalok was converted into parish.
• 1647
  Sampalok was converted to a municipality and renamed San Pablo de los Montes.
• 1756
  Placed under jurisdiction of Batangas Province.
• 1883
  Returned to Laguna Province.
• 1902
  Don Marcos Paulino was elected first Municipal President under the Americans.
• 1940
  Approval of Commonwealth (Act) 520 or Charter of the City of San Pablo with Dr. Potenciano Malvar as first appointive City Mayor.
• 1955
  Installed first elected City Mayor Cipriano B. Colago.

San Pablo, the City of Seven Lakes, lies in the southern portion of Laguna province, Philippines. It is accessible by road via adjoining municipalities:

• in the west and northwest by Alaminos Laguna and by Batangas province,
• in the north by Calauan Laguna
• in the east by Rizal and Nagcarlan towns(Laguna)
• in the southeast by Tiaong and Dolores (Quezon province); and
• in the southwest by Lipa City(Batangas).

A 90 minute-drive from Manila and 60-minute-drive from Lucena City, San Pablo is favored with generous stretches of concrete pavements of the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway.

Major bus companies ply the developed and well-maintained provincial roads daily to and from adjacent urban centers in the Philippine capital, Manila and in Batangas, Laguna and Quezon provinces.

Domestic and foreign tourists go to Manila by air, sea or land, before proceeding by land to San Pablo City.