Santa Ana is a transfer station between Line 2 and Line 5 of the Santiago Metro. It was initially a single-line station on Line 2, opened on 25 July 1986 as part of the extension of the line from Los Héroes to Puente Cal y Canto.^[2] Subsequently in 1998, the station began to be adapted to become a transfer station, as a part of the extension of Line 5 from Baquedano metro station to Santa Ana station, in which the New Austrian Tunnelling method was used.^[1] The Line 5 station was opened on 3 March 2000. The line was extended to Quinta Normal on 31 March 2004.^[2]

The older portion of the station occupies part of the central reservation of the Autopista Central, which is sunken. Two street-level mezzanines at the northern and southern extremes of the station are connected with bridges traversing the highway.

The station receives its name from the nearby Santa Ana Church.