Constant arguing over water, led to the town being named Twisfontein and later Prosesfontein. In those days the nearest church was at Hopefield, 6 hours' travel by horse from Vredenburg. As late as the mid 1930's, the road between Vredenburg and Hopefield was very poor and, in winter, sometimes almost inaccessable. In 1875 it was decided that a congregation would be started and the town was renamed Vredenburg. The church was officially opened here on 10 October 1875.

Although a goverment school was built in 1880, the town still developed slowly, mostly due to the lack of fresh water.

After the Second World War a water pipeline was constructed and the area experienced a boom in the fishing as well as agricultural industries. Fishing villages such as Stompneus Bay, Slippers Bay, Viool and St Helena Bay sprang up and Vredenburg became the commercial and educational centre.

When the municipalities of Vredenburg and Saldanha amalgamated in 1975, it became the largest municipal area in South Africa.

Although industrial development did not take place to the scale that was predicted in the early 1970's, it is slowly starting to become a more industrialised area.

Aanhoudende argumente oor water het daartoe gelei dat die dorp se naam na Twisfontein verander is en later na Prosesfontein. In daardie dae was die naaste kerk te Hopefield, wat ongeveer 6 ure te perd weg van Vredenburg was. So onlangs nog as die laat 1930.'s was die pad tussen Hopefield en Vredenburg nog baie sleg en soms, in wintermaande, onbegaanbaar. In 1875 is toe besluit om 'n gemeente op Vredenburg te vestig en die dorp is toe ook so genoem. Die kerk is amptelik ingewy op 10 Oktober 1875.

Alhoewel die eerste regeringskool op Vredenburg in 1880 ingewy is, het die dorp nog stadig ontwikkel, meestal as gevolg van 'n gebrek aan vars water.

Na die Tweede Wereld Oorlog is 'n pyplyn vir varswater egter aangelê en die area het 'n bloeitydperk beleef. Die vis- en landboubedrywe het gefloreer en vissersdorpies soos Stompneusbaai, Slippersbaai, Viool en St Helenabaai het opgespring. In hierdie tyd het Vredenburg die kommersiële en opvoedkundige sentrum van die Weskus geword.

In 1975 het die munisipaliteite van Saldanha en Vredenburg saamgesmelt en oppervlakte gewys die grootste munisipaliteit in Suid-Afrika geword. Alhoewel industriële ontwikkel nie so vinnig plaasgeving het soos sommige mense in die vroeë 1970's voorspel het nie, is die streek tog besig om industriëel te groei.