It is a part of the municipality of Tholen and lies about 12 km northwest of Bergen op Zoom.

The village was first mentioned in 1200 as Portfliet, and the name is a combination of words for port and streaming water.

The Poortvlietpolder and the Mallandpolder are the oldest diked polders of the former island of Tholen.

The wind mill started to lean during construction and is smaller than intended.

In 1945, it was hit by V-1 flying bomb intended for Antwerp which killed four people.