There are records of the village of Barreiro from as far as the 13th century, when the Military Order of Saint James of the Sword promoted its settlement.

By the time the Portuguese reached India and Brazil (early 16th century), it was in Barreiro that shipbuilding was concluded, since it started in Lisbon during summer and when the rougher weather arrived the construction had to be moved to somewhere with more sheltered conditions.

In the 19th century, the railway lines from Setúbal and Vendas Novas were extended to Barreiro,[4] which along with the location by the Tagus made CUF select the town for the establishment of one of the biggest industrial estates of its time.

Without the former regime to restrict imports and control the national production, the business started to decline and the factories in Barreiro were gradually shut down.

After the change in political powers abroad, thousands migrated to Portugal in order to flee violence; at this time Barreiro received many refugees, mostly from Portuguese and Angolan ethnic backgrounds.