Included originally as part of the network, both this and the 48th Street station were deferred and not constructed in 1987 due to intense neighborhood opposition.[2] However, both would open as infill stations in July 1994 due to a shift in attitude towards the rail project following its successful opening from the surrounding neighborhoods.[2]
In October 2019, RT and the UC Davis Medical Center reached an agreement to rename the station 39th Street/UC Davis Health station.[3]