It is located in the Charlestown neighborhood off Austin Street near New Rutherford Avenue (MA-99), under the double-decked elevated structure carrying Interstate 93 to the Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge.

[2] East Cambridge and the NorthPoint development are to the southwest, with the MBTA Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility and the Inner Belt District industrial park to the northwest and highway ramps to the southeast.

[4] At that time, Charlestown was separated from East Cambridge by a large cove, Millers River.

In 1917, the elevated structure was slated to be replaced with a more permanent subway line along the same Main Street routing, but this project was canceled by the US's entry into World War I.

Community College station was built to replace the two elevated stops nearby in Charlestown.

However, the Orange Line extension was cut short to Oak Grove due to local opposition in Melrose, and no express service ever ran.

The second platform is open for outbound passengers at busy Sullivan Square and Wellington, but at less-busy Community College it sits unused.

Unlike the four other original stations on the Haymarket North Extension, Community College was not built with a busway.

[12] The entire Orange Line, including Community College station, was closed from August 19 to September 18, 2022, during maintenance work.