Subacute (10-day) and subchronic (90-day) toxicity studies of 1,2-dichlorobenzene (DCB) were conducted in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. 1,2-Dichlorobenzene was administered in corn oil by oral gavage; control animals received corn oil. At time of sacrifice, gross necropsies were performed and selected tissues were weighed and prepared for histological evaluation. Blood was taken for hematology and clinical chemistry determinations. While there were no definitive dose-related histopathological findings in the subacute study, the data did show a tendency toward an increased frequency of hepatocellular cytoplasmic alterations and vacuolization, and single cell necrosis. In the subchronic study, hepatocellular changes associated with treatment included centrolobular degeneration and hypertrophy, and single cell necrosis in the high dose males and females. Correlating effects observed in clinical chemistry and histopathology with other studies, demonstrate that the liver and kidney are the target organs of 1,2-dichlorobenzene toxicity in the rat.