Futebol Clube de Arouca was founded on 25 December 1951 in the small town of Arouca, in the Aveiro district of northern Portugal, originally set up with links to FC Porto. Home matches are played at the Estádio Municipal de Arouca, a compact municipal ground seating around 5,600.

For most of its history the club competed in regional and lower national divisions, winning the Aveiro regional championship and later the third and second tiers before a rapid rise that brought four promotions in seven years. Arouca made its Primeira Liga debut in 2013-14 and produced its finest campaign in 2015-16, finishing fifth and qualifying for the UEFA Europa League. After a spell back in the lower divisions the club regained top-flight status and has since established itself as a regular in the Primeira Liga.