The original Cleveland station opened in 1889, when the line was extended from Manly. The current station was named Raby Bay. On 1 November 1960, the line was truncated to Lota. The line was rebuilt to the former Raby Bay station on 24 October 1987, which became the third to carry the name Cleveland. On 31 January 2013, a passenger train overshot the railway line, colliding with the station building severely damaging the toilet block and station building and injuring 14 people.
Cleveland serves the homonymous suburb of Cleveland. There are conflicting reports of the naming of Cleveland. One is that it was named in 1770 by James Cook after John Cleveland who was the Secretary of the Admiralty at the time. The other report is by surveyors in the 1840s in honour of Willam Vane, 1st Duke of Cleveland.
Cleveland station itself has two platforms consisting of an island platform. All platforms are used for terminating and commencing stations as it is the terminus station.
Cleveland station has two station entrances. Both of them are on Harbourview Court, one being from the carpark.
Cleveland does have disability access.
There is a bus interchange outside the station on Shore Street West. The routes that serve Cleveland are routes 250, 252, 255, 258, 272, 274 and 275. There is also a shuttle bus from Stockland Cleveland to the Stradbroke Ferry Terminal via Cleveland station.