Initially an amalgam of stock routes, the 571-kilometre (355 mi)[1] highway extends from the Victorian border north across central New South Wales to Wilcannia, and was named in honour of the Cobb and Co stagecoach company.

[13] Cobb Highway is part of a significant travelling stock routes network in New South Wales.

The highway is the focus of a major tourism initiative entitled The Long Paddock, developed by the shires along the route (Murray, Deniliquin, Conargo, Hay and Central Darling).

The project uses the consistent theme of transportation, involving elements of history, creative interpretation and local environment, to link the communities along the highway.

[15] A project to build an extra bridge over the Murray River linking Echuca and Moama commenced in late 2017 and concluded with its opening on 11 April 2022.

An official opening ceremony was held in November 2023 at the final section of highway to be sealed, near Halfway Tree between Wilcannia and Ivanhoe.