This station opened in 1917 along with the rest of the Astoria Line as part of the Dual Contracts between New York City and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT).

[6] In December 1923, the Queens Chamber of Commerce petitioned the New York State Transit Commission to add the name "Astoria Avenue" to station signage.

The station's original sidewalk entrances were located on the northern corners of the intersection of Hoyt Avenue and 31st Street.

[18]: 633, 729 The Astoria Boulevard station's mezzanine sits above an access point to a major truck route, Interstate 278.

On the evening of March 27, 1991, a truck struck the bottom of the station and severely damaged a transverse girder, part of which supported the center express track.

[20] As part of the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Program, the station received funding for reconstruction to make it compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990.

[25] The station was fully closed for nine months on March 17, 2019 to allow the mezzanine to be replaced[26][27] and was reopened on December 18, 2019, while elevator construction and installation was still underway.

[30] In January 2023, it was announced that to further improve accessibility, wide-aisle fare gates will be installed at this station and at four others across the city.

[31]: 54  The Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to work with Cubic to design a gate that will accommodate both the MetroCard and OMNY payment systems, and allow easier station access for passengers with large items such as strollers, mobility devices, and luggage.

As part of the MTA Arts & Design program, Jeffrey Gibson created an artwork for the station, titled I Am A Rainbow Too (stylized in all-capital letters), which was installed in 2020.