First settlements in this region date from about 2000 BC and there are also remnants from the Celts and the Romans. The area which today is occupied by Sankt Johann was first mentioned in a document in 924 AD. The name “ad sanctum Johannem in villa” appears in a document from 1074.

There is written evidence of the town’s development from 1920. A church was built and consecrated here in 1329. The first market is held in 1425. During the time of the Peasants’ War in 1525/26 the people of Sankt Johann join the protestant rebels in their fight against the Archduke of Salzburg. As a result, the town was plundered and destroyed.

In the 16th and 17th centuries the town experienced remarkable growth before suffering a major setback in the 18th century with the expulsion of the Protestants. Of the 20,000 exiles, of whom the majority settled in East Prussia and North America, 2,500 were from Sankt Johann.

During the Napoleonic Wars in 1809, when the province of Salzburg was controlled by France and Bavaria, Sankt Johann went through times of great need (Salzburg became part of Austria in 1816). After the French Wars many new trades sprouted up and cattle farming became big. On 31 May 1855 a terrible fire razed to the ground almost the entire town including the church which was rebuilt in new gothic style. Unfortunately the church spire collapsed in 1871. The “Pongau Cathedral” with its two 62m tall spires was finally finished in 1876). The only ancient building is Anna Chapel which dates back to the late middle ages.

During WW I, 118 soldiers from Sankt Johann were killed in action. In 1929 Sankt Johann was granted the right to carry a Coat of Arms with St. John the Baptist being symbolized on it.

Between 1938 to 1945 Sankt Johann was named “Markt Pongau”; during WW II prisoners of war from Yugoslavia, France and the UdSSR were stationed here. Today a Russian Cemetery still testifies to these times.

When the US American troops left in 1955 building activities restarted and Sankt Johann saw and economic upswing with trade, the services sector, and tourism as the main pillars of the economy. Later Sankt Johann also turned into an educational center.

In the last years tourism became one of the most important elements in the economy of Sankt Johann. The hamlet of Alpendorf is a paradise for holidayers and serves as gateway to “Salzburger Sportwelt” and “Ski amadé”, two world-famous ski areas. Sankt Johann is also known the nearby natural wonder of the Liechtenstein Gorge which was made accessible for the public in 1876.