The contract to build Pargo was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut, on 26 March 1963 and her keel was laid down there on 3 June 1964.

Assigned to Submarine Development Group 2 with her home port at New London, Connecticut.

Pargo participated in the search for the missing attack submarine USS Scorpion (SSN-589) from 27 May to 7 June 1968.

The "Pargo" entered dry dock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (Bremerton, WA) in February 1985 for an 18-month overhaul.

Pargo was decommissioned on 14 April 1995 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register the same day.