The station opened in 1881 as Altrincham & Bowdon by the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway (MSJAR) to replace Altrincham station and Bowdon station which were then closed. All platforms were through, with 1 and 2 (nearest to the town) being used by the MSJAR, with 3 and 4 by the Cheshire Lines Committee trains. Since 1974 the station has been called Altrincham.

The former station forecourt was converted into a bus station which opened in late 1976. The combined bus/rail station is now referred to as Altrincham Interchange.

The Friends of Altrincham Interchange (FOAI) is a local voluntary group committed to facilitating and helping to deliver improvements to Altrincham Interchange.

The Metrolink service uses platforms 1 and 2 and the Mid Cheshire Line trains platforms 3 and 4.

The station clock tower is a Grade II listed structure.