The church's foundation stone was laid in 1930 by Archbishop Nathan Söderblom, and the building was consecrated in 1932 by Archbishop Erling Eidem. Its architect, Knut Nordenskjöld, had extensive experience restoring older churches, and he drew on that knowledge when designing Staffans kyrka, giving the building a form that echoes both medieval and baroque traditions.
Many of the original fittings, including the triumphal crucifix, pulpit and marble font, were created by Carl Fagerberg at the time of the church's construction. The altarpiece, by Jerk Werkmäster, is arranged as an altar cabinet depicting the Transfiguration of Christ, flanked by images of the evangelists. A side chapel, the Johannes chapel, contains stained glass by Yngve Lundström.
Later additions reflect the church's ongoing artistic life: a large wooden figure of Christ by Asmund Arle was installed in the 1950s, while a small sculpture of St Staffan by Maggie Wibom and a Marian sculpture by Per Nilsson-Öst were both donated to the church in the early 2010s.
The church's large gallery organ dates from 1932 and was built by E. A. Setterquist & Son as a romantic-style instrument. It was substantially altered in the late 1950s to suit changing musical tastes, before being restored towards its original tonal character in 2013. A smaller choir organ, originally built for Andreaskyrkan in Gävle in the 1970s, was moved to Staffans kyrka in 2005.
The church underwent a major renovation completed in 2021, which included the creation of a new parish hall in the space beneath the church, alongside the historic building above.