The province existed for the duration of the United Kingdom, from 1815 to 1830, and for the first years after Belgian independence, from 1830 to 1839.

A new province was formed from the former French Empire département of Meuse-Inférieure, excluding Niederkrüchten and Herzogenrath which were assigned to Prussia, and was to receive the name "Maastricht", after its capital.

Although most of the province, including the fortress city of Venlo, at the time Belgium's northernmost fortress, was under Belgian control following Belgium's de facto independence after French intervention, the city of Maastricht remained in Dutch hands.

In 1839, King William I recognised the independence of Belgium by signing the Treaty of London.

Under the terms of the treaty, the Belgians had to relinquish the eastern part of Limburg to the Netherlands.