It is a part of the municipality of Hulst, and lies about 22 km southwest of Bergen op Zoom.

The village was first mentioned in 1170 as Grotha and means "slipped land outside the dike".

[3] Graauw is a dike village with developed along the Graauwse Kreek.

In the late 16th century, the land was poldered and village developed on the dike.

It was the capital of the municipality of the Graauw en Langendam until 1970 when it was merged into Hulst.