diff --git a/ci/deps/actions-38-db-min.yaml b/ci/deps/actions-38-db-min.yaml
index f875f2ef88949..41d80c89f6f6d 100644
--- a/ci/deps/actions-38-db-min.yaml
+++ b/ci/deps/actions-38-db-min.yaml
@@ -44,4 +44,4 @@ dependencies:
   # sql
   - psycopg2=2.8.4
   - pymysql=0.10.1
-  - sqlalchemy=1.3.11
+  - sqlalchemy=1.4.0
diff --git a/ci/deps/actions-38-locale_slow.yaml b/ci/deps/actions-38-locale_slow.yaml
index 0ff5dd6c3f7f0..e90acafa8bb2b 100644
--- a/ci/deps/actions-38-locale_slow.yaml
+++ b/ci/deps/actions-38-locale_slow.yaml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ dependencies:
   - python-blosc
   - pytz=2020.1
   - scipy
-  - sqlalchemy=1.3.11
+  - sqlalchemy=1.4.0
   - xlrd=2.0.1
   - xlsxwriter=1.2.2
   - xlwt=1.3.0
diff --git a/doc/source/getting_started/install.rst b/doc/source/getting_started/install.rst
index da70549687594..c054153fe4a43 100644
--- a/doc/source/getting_started/install.rst
+++ b/doc/source/getting_started/install.rst
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ SQL databases
 ========================= ================== =============================================================
 Dependency                Minimum Version    Notes
 ========================= ================== =============================================================
-SQLAlchemy                1.3.11              SQL support for databases other than sqlite
+SQLAlchemy                1.4.0               SQL support for databases other than sqlite
 psycopg2                  2.8.4               PostgreSQL engine for sqlalchemy
 pymysql                   0.10.1              MySQL engine for sqlalchemy
 ========================= ================== =============================================================
diff --git a/doc/source/whatsnew/v1.4.0.rst b/doc/source/whatsnew/v1.4.0.rst
index 71903d10a6983..bcebe3ab024ba 100644
--- a/doc/source/whatsnew/v1.4.0.rst
+++ b/doc/source/whatsnew/v1.4.0.rst
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ Optional libraries below the lowest tested version may still work, but are not c
 +-----------------+-----------------+---------+
 | scipy           | 1.4.1           |    X    |
 +-----------------+-----------------+---------+
-| sqlalchemy      | 1.3.11          |    X    |
+| sqlalchemy      | 1.4.0           |    X    |
 +-----------------+-----------------+---------+
 | tabulate        | 0.8.7           |         |
 +-----------------+-----------------+---------+
diff --git a/pandas/compat/_optional.py b/pandas/compat/_optional.py
index 1cf57404bbe01..532150004f4ad 100644
--- a/pandas/compat/_optional.py
+++ b/pandas/compat/_optional.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
     "pyxlsb": "1.0.6",
     "s3fs": "0.4.0",
     "scipy": "1.4.1",
-    "sqlalchemy": "1.3.11",
+    "sqlalchemy": "1.4.0",
     "tables": "3.6.1",
     "tabulate": "0.8.7",
     "xarray": "0.15.1",