In 1851, the land where the current station is located (Argonne Avenue and Kirkwood Road) was obtained from Owen Collins by the Pacific Railroad for a right of way.

The first train arrived May 11, 1853, for an auction sale of lots, making Kirkwood the first planned suburb west of the Mississippi.

The town was named for the chief engineer for the railroad, James P. Kirkwood.

The current station remains today as an outstanding example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture.

Though originally deemed ineligible for such status,[3] the station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 5, 1985.