The station was built in 1905 by the Southern Pacific Railroad and was restored in the early 21st century; in addition to a waiting room, the building also houses the Colfax Heritage Museum.

[4] The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad began service from here on April 11, 1876,[6] running until 1942.

[4] Between January 1, 1998, and February 13, 2000, a single round-trip of the Capitol Corridor terminated at Colfax.

As of 2024[update], Amtrak plans to modify the platform for accessibility later in the 2020s.

[7] Media related to Colfax station at Wikimedia Commons