In the early 19th century there was a growing need for a pier somewhere along the 150 mile stretch of Essex coast. A former Lord Mayor of London, Alderman William Heygate, then a resident of Southend, championed this cause. A Parliamentary Act of 1829 finally permitted the building of the first pier at Southend to commence. The 600ft (182m) wooden structure opened in June 1830 but, as it was unusable at low tide, this soon required an extension. By 1833 Southend Pier had almost tripled in length, and by 1846 had become the longest pier in Europe, stretching for nearly a staggering 7,000ft (2,133.6m). However, this work resulted in financial problems for the pier owners, and they were forced to sell in 1846 for the sum of £17,000. Several changes of ownership followed until, in 1873, Southend Pier came into public hands, being purchased for £12,000 by the local board.

Life was about to change in the quiet Essex resort. With the sudden advent of the railways, Southend was now accessible to the more boisterous folk of East London and it soon adopted the affectionate nickname of 'Whitechapel by the Sea'. Much discussion took place regarding the future of Southend Pier and in 1885 it was decided that a new iron pier should now replace the original ageing structure.

Designed by James Brunlees, work on the new Southend Pier commenced in 1887 and was opened on 24th August 1890, complete with an electric railway. Various extensions and improvements over the next 30 years ensured that Southend Pier kept pace with visitor requirements. These included an extension to the pier head in 1897, increasing Southend Pier's overall length to 7,080ft (2,145m) - a world record for a pier. An upper deck to the head was opened on 25th July 1908, and the eastern 'Prince George Steamer Extension' was added in 1929. During the war years Southend Pier was taken over by the Admiralty, and was renamed HMS Leigh. The pier's role was primarily to serve as a convoy assembly point, and in the ensuing six years of conflict some 3,367 convoys, representing 84,297 vessels, sailed from Southend.

At the end of the war Southend Pier enjoyed its heyday, with the electric train carrying some 4,713,082 passengers during the 1949/50 season, plus an additional 1,000,000 visitors coming through the turnstiles. In 1959 a fire destroyed a pavilion at the shoreward end, trapping 500 trippers along the pier length who had to be rescued by boat. In 1961 a bowling alley replaced the pavilion. With package holidays becoming ever popular, and greater car ownership, the inevitable decline began and, in 1970, Southend Pier's entertainments were franchised to a catering and leisure firm. This arrangement seemed to work well, and £250,000 was spent in providing a new restaurant, amusement arcade, pub, cocktail bar and nightclub. However, in the mid 1970s as a result of rising costs, demolition was again a threat.

The council thankfully decided on a 15 year restoration plan, but these plans were put in jeopardy in July 1976 when the worst chapter in Southend Piers long history unfolded. A serious fire completely gutted the extensive pier head. People stranded on the pier at the time were evacuated along the railway and by boat. Whilst firemen tackled the blaze from the structure, fire-fighting tugs tackled it from the sea, and a crop spraying light aircraft was used overhead. A year later the bowling alley at the shoreward end was badly damaged in a second fire, and 1978 saw the railway closed for safety reasons.

Southend Piers fate was once again in the balance, but a local action group fought a stubborn campaign to secure its future. Rebuilding of the pier began in November 1984, and a new pier railway was opened by Princess Anne just two years later. Further problems were encountered in 1986 when the 'Kings Abbey' collided with Southen Pier, temporarily sectioning the structure near the head. A museum was constructed at the shoreward end, near the railway station, in 1989. Another fire on 7th June 1995 finally destroyed the shoreward end bowling alley, as well as causing considerable damage to the adjacent railway forcing its closure for a period of time.

However, things took a turn for the better in the year 2000, and substantial funding was made available for Southend Pier. A modern new Lifeboat Station has been constructed at the pier-head, along with the installation of water and waste pumping facilities, down the piers length, to service shipping. The remaining fire damaged section at the pier head has also been repaired, along with the refurbishment of toilets and shelters. Probably the most noticable change has been the removal of the old pier arched entrance and the old road bridge. These have both been replaced by very striking modern metal and glass structures, in keeping with the lifeboat station.

On 9th October 2005, another major fire caused considerable damage to the recently refurbished Southend Pier completely destroying a pub, toilets, shops, the head railway station, as well as approximately 130ft (39.4m) of the pier deck. At this time the pier has re-opened to the public with some temporary facilities remaining in place whilst repairs to fire damaged areas continue.