The advantageous location on the way between European Russia and Siberia and huge resources of salt favoured the rapid development of the city. In the 16-17th centuries Solikamsk was the main center of salt production and the important commercial city on the way to Siberia. It successfully competed against other towns both in industry and trade. So no wonder that the city became a big administrative center as well. In 1636 Solikamsk became the residence of voevoda (commander of an army, governor of a province in ancient Russia). It meant that Solikamsk turned into the capital of the Ural. The first city's voevoda was Iov Lachinov.

Solikamsk remembers not only merchants. For example, the way to Siberia was very long until a Solikamsk peasant Artemii Babinov discovered a new, much shorter way through Ural range in 1597. For that service Russian Tsar exempted him from all taxes. Solikamsk also remembers the legendary Russian hero Ermak, the conqueror of Siberia, who lived on the city lands.

According to the list of 1679, Solikamsk numbered 831 homesteads, more than 200 salt-works, and 2257 males. The city's salt-works made up to 7 millions poods per year (about 110,000 tons) which accounted for 70% of the total Russian salt output. Solikamsk also became an important center of folk-crafts and art. For less than 50 years the city's architects and craftsmen created a magnificent architectural ensemble, which consisted of more than 10 unique stone buildings. Even nowadays this achievement strikes. There have been preserved quite a few monuments since that times, especially those architectural monuments that were built in so-called Moscow baroque style. The most beautiful of them are St. Trinity Cathedral, Epiphany Church, Transfiguration Church, the Bell Tower, the House of Voevoda. In 1731 famous Russian mill owners Demidovs founded in Solikamsk first botanical gardens in Russia. Its hothouses contained more than 500 species of plants, among them tropical ones, such as coffee trees, aloes, cactuses, and pineapples.

In the first half of the 18th century salt business in Solikamsk began to dwindle. There were discovered new big salt resources in Russia. Solikamsk entrepreneurs could no longer compete against the other salt producers. The number of salt-works in the city reduced rapidly.

Besides, a new way to Siberia through the towns of Kazan, Perm, and Yekaterinburg was opened. Solikamsk was too far from that way so its trade activities fell into decay. In 1738 the residence of the governor was transferred to the town of Kungur and Solikamsk has lost its status of the capital of the Ural.

By the end of the 18th century Solikamsk turned into the ordinary town. In the early 19th century there were a soap factory, a bell factory, and 7 tanneries in the city. The row of shops was built as well. In 1835 Solikamsk numbered 16 stone buildings, 427 wood buildings, and 2,943 people. However, by the 20th century the city overcame the stagnation. At that time the city had about 4,000 inhabitants, some soap-works, tanneries, salt-works, 15 forges, furriery, shoe and tailor's workshops, a printing-house, a convict prison. There also worked male and female schools, a library with 3,000 books, a cinema "Mirage". "The Exchange Gazette" came out. There worked 13 churches, 2 monasteries, 20 chapels.

The Soviet power in Solikamsk was proclaimed on January 29, 1918. Soon afterwards the Civil War began in the country. That was the time of violence and blood in Russia. On January 6, 1919 the city was captured by "the Whites" - the military that fought against Communists. In July, 1919 the Communist Army marched into the city again. A lot of people were killed in Solikamsk during the Civil War. In their memory some monuments in the city have been erected.

Soviet economy developed in the city since the 1920s. In 1925 a large deposit of potassium and magnesium salts "Verkhnesolikamskoe" (Upper Solikamsk) was discovered. These salts are valuable raw stuff for chemical industry and can be used as fertilizer in agriculture. In 1934 the first Solikamsk potassium plant was put into operation. The second potassium plant began to work in 1975. Today they work under the name Joint Stock Company (JSC) "Silvinit". In 1933 the Soviet government ordered to build a magnesium plant. In 1936 the plant was put into operation and first magnesium was obtained. Now it is the JSC "Solikamsk Magnesium Plant". The Kama woods contain the huge reserves of timber. In order to utilize these resources it was decided to construct a pulp and paper mill. It was put into operation in 1941. In the 1970s every third newspaper in Russia was printed on Solikamsk paper. Today it is the JSC "Solikamskbumprom". The rolls of its paper are exported to such countries as Great Britain , France, India, Turkey, Marocco, Algiers, and others. Thus, in the 1930s Solikamsk turned into the important center of chemical and pulp and paper industry.

At the same time the Communist power built the huge net of prisons, concentration and labor camps all over the country. Some labor camps were built near Solikamsk as well. Innocent of any crime people were sent to the camps during the J. Stalin's repressions of the 1930s. Thousands of the prisoners participated in the construction of the Soviet enterprises in Solikamsk.

When the Second World War began and the German fascists attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, thousands of the Solikamsk people went to the front to defend their country. For numerous feats of arms and courage eleven Solikamsk soldiers were honored with the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union, the highest award in the country. Many enterprises from the European part of the USSR were evacuated in the city. The city industry was reorganized to put out military production. Teenagers and women worked at the plants for 13-14 hours a day instead of men gone to the front. Some hospitals and children's homes were organized as well. During the war Solikamsk people did everything in their power to help the country to gain the great victory over Fascism.

After the war Solikamsk continued to develop. New housing estates, schools, colleges, hospitals, stadia, libraries, museums, movie-houses were built. The population greatly increased and by the early 1980s about 100,000 inhabitants lived in the city . In 1980 for great services to the country Solikamsk was awarded the Order of the Labor Red Banner, a honorary award in the Soviet Union. At the same time since the 1970s the city economy as well as all Soviet economy gradually fell into the period of stagnation. Another result of the Communist management is unfavourable ecological situation in Solikamsk. The Soviet chemical enterprises has much polluted city's air and water.

When in 1991 the Communist regime crashed down, the country economy crashed as well. However, due to the market reforms of the 1990s the economy has been gradually restoring. Solikamsk people remember the great commercial traditions of the city. They study laws of market, organize privately owned enterprises, go into business all over again.

Today's Solikamsk is the third city in size in Perm region, the administrative center of Solikamsk district, where industry, agriculture, and forestry are greatly developed . There work many high schools, professional schools, colleges, sport schools, music schools, art schools. In 1990 Solikamsk State Institute of Pedagogy was founded. The city has 10 libraries. There hold soccer and hockey games. Ski, skating, bodybuilding, and other sports are popular in Solikamsk as well. Many Solikamsk inhabitants are engaged in amateur artistic work. They participate in different festivals and competitions held both in the country and abroad.

Despite many problems typical for all today's Russia, Solikamsk lives and successfully overcomes difficulties of the new times.