Vila do Conde is interlinked to the north with Póvoa de Varzim, forming a single urban agglomeration which is a part of the Porto Metropolitan Area.

[3] Its origins date back to the founding of the Portuguese territory; the earliest written document (953), by the Countess Mumadona Dias, refers to the Villa de Comite, in a chart used for the sale of land by Flamula Pelagius, to the Monastery of Guimarães.

[3] Similar vestiges of the Roman occupation of the region continue to be discovered, and archaeological digs are ongoing in a dozen sites throughout the municipality.

This prompted King Dinis to sponsor and authorize Afonso Sanches to build a monastery of the same invocation on the right bank of the Ave river, where an ancient Celtic hillfort was located.

[7] The cornerstone was laid in 1318, and once completed it was deposited in the hands of the Franciscan Order, which he patronized throughout his life, eventually leaving Vila do Conde, its lands and rents, in their possession after his and his wife's deaths.

By the middle of the 19th century, the town had one ecclesiastical parish, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, founded by Manuel I of Portugal, and erected by the archbishop of Braga, Diogo de Sousa in 1518.

In addition, the secular buildings included a small theatre, a recreational assembly and ornate dock of rock on the right margin of the Ave River towards its mouth, and across from the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Guia.

Fronting the Atlantic Ocean and the Ave River (to its south), the municipality includes 18 kilometres (11 miles) of beaches, in addition to extensive rural areas with fields and estates.

The area of Vila do Conde is part of the granite-metamorphic basement, the Iberian Hercynian massif, that extends from the Spanish border to Espinho (15 km (9 mi) south of Porto).

[12] There are also deformations associated with the last inter-glacial period, that have affected these sedimentary layers, most commonly in the beach of Sampaio, where deposits have been discovered between various altitudes (5 and 9 metres).

The line also operated an older rail-line that connected Porto and Póvoa de Varzim, with intermediary stops in Vila do Conde, but was discontinued in 2002 in favour of Metro services.

[3][8] Vila do Conde is the centre of one of the more prestigious fairs of traditional artisans, that include quilts, wool sweaters, ironworks, in addition to needlework.

[8] Every four years, the religious Festivals of Corpo de Deus are significant, and known for the road covered mats of flowers, used in processions from the circuit the main churches.