In the 17th century, the strait connecting Ringkøbing Fjord to the North Sea began to move south under the influence of wind and tide; soon it was no longer navigable.

Ringkøbing was cut off from the sea until the beginning of the 20th century, when a new channel was built at the town of Hvide Sande, in nearby Holmsland municipality.

At the end of World War II, Ringkøbing was involved in the British testing of captured German V-weapons.

As the result of a restoration in 1995–1996, the church has a number of modern features, including an altarpiece by Arne Haugen Sørensen and a glass baptismal font.

It is located on the Esbjerg-Struer railway line and offers regional train services to Skjern and Holstebro with onward connections to the rest of Denmark.