The Southern Pacific Railroad Station has been in continuous use since its completion in 1914. It is the only remaining example of Mission Revival architecture in Davis and is one of the very few buildings of historic significance left in the city.

The present depot, designed by the Architectural Bureau of the Southern Pacific Railroad, replaced a previous terminal constructed in 1868 for an earlier line, the California Pacific Rail Road [sic] Company or the Cal-P, which had been incorporated in January 1865.

In 1869, Central Pacific and Union Pacific completed the Transcontinental Railroad. The railroad, however, was not quite transcontinental. The western terminus was in Sacramento. Passengers arriving in Sacramento from the east would transfer from the Transcontinental Railroad to the Cal-P which had been renamed California Pacific Railroad Extension Company. They would continue by rail to Vallejo where they transferred to a passenger ferry bound for San Francisco.

California Pacific was acquired by Central Pacific which was later acquired by Southern Pacific which was later acquired by Union Pacific, the only surviving Pacific.

The Davis depot, still displaying the abbreviation SP, continues in service as an Amtrak station.

Adapted from the NRHP nomination.