This includes the small Heligoland islands (1.7 km2, population 1,309) off the North Sea coast.

The constituency was held by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) during the inaugural term of the Bundestag, during which time it was represented by Anni Krahnstöver.

It was won by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in 1953, and represented by Wilhelm Goldhagen (until 1961) and Rolf Bremer.

In 1969, it was won again by the SPD, and represented in turn by Hans-Ulrich Brand and Hermann P. Reiser, who each served for a single term.

Party fellow Reinhard Ueberhorst represented it from 1976 until 1983, when it was won by Ingrid Roitzsch of the CDU.

Ole Schröder of the CDU served from 2005 to 2017, before being succeeded by party fellow Michael von Abercron in 2017.

With the exception of the 1949 election, Pinneberg can be considered Germany's bellwether constituency, having always voted for the party that would win the chancellorship.