In 1862, after buying a section of Rancho Buri Buri from José de la Cruz Sánchez, Darius Ogden Mills deeded land to the under-construction San Francisco and San Jose Railroad in exchange for a station to allow guests to visit his estate.
The line opened in October 1863; the adobe 17 Mile House station opened in 1864 and was renamed Millbrae the next year.
The line was soon taken over by the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) for its Peninsula Commute service.
The station burned in 1890.

The station burned again in 1906 and was replaced with a two-story colonnade-style depot of standard SP design the next year.
It was located on the west side of the tracks just south of Millbrae Avenue.
In 1976, preparing to discontinue the money-losing Peninsula Commute (which instead became publicly funded as Caltrain), the SP proposed to tear down the station.
However, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Southern Pacific Depot on September 1, 1978 after efforts by the newly formed Millbrae Historical Society.
In August 1980, the building was moved 200 feet (61 m) south to make room for a widening of Millbrae Avenue.
In 1862, after buying a section of Rancho Buri Buri from José de la Cruz Sánchez, Darius Ogden Mills deeded land to the under-construction San Francisco and San Jose Railroad in exchange for a station to allow guests to visit his estate. The line opened in October 1863; the adobe 17 Mile House station opened in 1864 and was renamed Millbrae the next year. The line was soon taken over by the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) for its Peninsula Commute service. The station burned in 1890.
The station burned again in 1906 and was replaced with a two-story colonnade-style depot of standard SP design the next year. It was located on the west side of the tracks just south of Millbrae Avenue. In 1976, preparing to discontinue the money-losing Peninsula Commute (which instead became publicly funded as Caltrain), the SP proposed to tear down the station. However, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Southern Pacific Depot on September 1, 1978 after efforts by the newly formed Millbrae Historical Society. In August 1980, the building was moved 200 feet (61 m) south to make room for a widening of Millbrae Avenue.
Millbrae station