It is a part of the municipality of Westland, and lies about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) southwest of The Hague.

's-Gravenzande was granted town rights ("stadsrechten") in 1246 by Count William II of Holland who, just like his father Count Floris IV, regularly resided at his estate near the town.

Machteld van Brabant, daughter of Duke Henry I and wife of Floris IV, was responsible for building the town's church, and gave it a Madonna statue to which miraculous powers were attributed.

The neighborhood of Gravesend, Brooklyn, New York in the United States is said by some to have been named for 's-Gravenzande.

[3] A 1656 Dutch map of Nova Belgica (New Netherland) confirms this, as it shows several Dutch names of towns like Vlissingen (Flushing), Breukelen (Brooklyn), Amersfoort (Flatlands), Heemstee (Hempstead) and Gravesant ('s-Gravenzande).