The station was originally opened by the London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) as Harrow in 1837 and was given its current name in 1897. In 1917 it began serving the London Underground network.

Above the station entrance is a memorial plaque commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of a train crash at the station on 8 October 1952 which killed 112 people, and injured 340 others.
Nearby is Harrow Museum, which offers a glimpse into the historic past of the area.