The Rainier Beach area was proposed for light rail service in 1995 and included in the final plan for Central Link (now the 1 Line) approved in 1999.

Rainier Beach station is also served by three King County Metro bus routes that connect it to Beacon Hill, Downtown Seattle, Georgetown, Mount Baker and Renton.

[4] Development around the Rainier Beach station has historically consisted of single-family housing and low-rise multi-family residential complexes, as well as some light industrial buildings.

[7][8] The city also plans for improvements to the Henderson Street corridor and traditional transit-oriented housing and office development within walking distance of the station.

[9][10] A grassroots campaign to improve Henderson Street, named "Link2Lake", was started in 2016 to advocate for a pedestrian-friendly connection between the station and Be'er Sheva Park on Lake Washington.

The line's opening celebration, which included free service and entertainment events throughout the Rainier Valley, was attended by over 92,000 people over a two-day period.

[22] From August 21 to September 16, 2023, part of the station's platform was closed to replace broken and cracked tactile pavers; the project required 1 Line trains to single-track through the Rainier Valley and reduced frequency to 15 and 30 minutes.

[31] Eugene Parnell's Increment on the station platform consists of four bronze columns with markings in relief representing systems of measurement used around the world as well as height comparisons with various animals.

Three glass mosaics from Mauricio Robalino, Flores, Fishmobile and Pinwheel, decorate a nearby electrical substation with patterns inspired by Ecuadorian textiles.

[38] Prior to March 2016, route 8 served the Martin Luther King Jr. Way corridor, terminating at the station and traveling north to the Central District, Capitol Hill, and Lower Queen Anne.