Amtrak opened the station on January 4, 1974, replacing Jacksonville Union Terminal (now Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center) downtown.

In 1993, the Sunset Limited was extended east from its New Orleans terminus all the way to Miami, and added a stop at Jacksonville.

[4] Then in 1996, the station's services were further expanded to include the newly reinstated Silver Palm running from New York to Tampa.

[5] On November 1, 2004, however, the Silver Palm, now renamed to Palmetto, had its terminus cut back to Savannah, Georgia.

Later, in 2005, the Sunset Limited was suspended east of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.