Vlaardingen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈvlaːrdɪŋə(n)] ⓘ) is a large town and municipality in South Holland in the Netherlands.

An army sent by German Emperor Henry II to stop this practice was defeated by Dirk III in the (First) Battle of Vlaardingen.

In 1574, during the Eighty Years War of Dutch independence, a group of Watergeuzen burnt down Vlaardingen as commanded by William of Orange to prevent the Spanish from capturing the town.

The fishing boats (originally "haringbuizen", later also "sloepen" and "loggers") ceased to use Vlaardingen in the years after World War II.

Because of industrialization in and close to Vlaardingen, the town suffered from heavy air pollution and, sometimes, pathogenic smog during the 1970s.

Vlaardingen consists of eight districts/neighbourhoods: Seats in the town council after the municipal elections in 2022:[6] The mayor is Bert Wijbenga (VVD).

The last major herring factory, Warmelo & Van Der Drift, left Vlaardingen in the middle of 2012 to relocate to Katwijk aan Zee.

Historical buildings in the town include the Grote Kerk (Big Church), the Waag (Weighing Bridge) next to the church and the old town hall (used for weddings), all on the Markt, the former marketplace, the Visbank (Fish Auction) at the harbour and the Oude Lijnbaan (Old Ropewalk, where ropes were made).

The "Vlaardings Loggerfestival"[8] (Logger is a traditional ship used for herring fishery, the customary English name is lugger) is held on the first Saturday of June.

Since 1987, the Geuzenpenning is an award that is yearly bestowed by a local foundation in cooperation with the town's municipality to human rights activists from all over the world.