In 1881 the railway line from Port Elizabeth ended on the farm Carlton. With the diversion of the railway line to Colesberg in 1883-1884 a station was built on a part of the farm Hartebeeshoek. The station was named Naauwpoort after the adjacent farm, allegedly because the pronunciation of Hartebeeshoek was too much of a tongue twister for the English railway officials. In 1963 the name was changed to Noupoort.
Agricultural activities range from intensive crop production and mixed farming in winter rainfall and high summer rainfall areas to cattle ranching in the bushveld and sheep farming in the arid regions. Maize is most widely grown, followed by wheat, oats, ...
