These highways were once a single major north–south route, connecting Oklahoma City to more rural parts of the state.

After a couple of turns in the Elmore City area, the highway continues due north to Maysville and SH-19.

The highway's northern section begins at a combination interchange with I-44 in Bethany.

The road passes through the towns of Crescent, Covington, and Garber, Oklahoma as it continues, again on a due north course.

Between Covington and Garber the road intersects with US-64/US-412, which can be used to access Enid, just 14 miles (23 km)[6] to the west.

Eight miles (13 km)[6] north of this, SH-74 intersects with SH-11 between Deer Creek and Numa, Oklahoma.

[7] In 1935 and 1936, the highway's alignment through Norman was modified; it was extended from its Main Street terminus to US-77.

On August 18, the designation was added to a new section of highway between Crescent and US-64[8] (now SH-164) in Covington.

The State Highway Commission lengthened SH-74 through Goldsby and Purcell to SH-19 in Maysville on July 1, 1937.

[7] The gap between the two sections of SH-74 was widened on March 3, 1975, when the route was eliminated through Cleveland County and much of Oklahoma City, bringing SH-74 to its present-day termini.

[7] Between April and July 2001, ODOT installed a Brifen Safety Fence cable barrier along the Lake Hefner Parkway section of SH-74.

[9] The freeway was extended from its former terminus just north of the Kilpatrick Turnpike to 164th Street in 2016.

SH-74A ran along Lindsey Street in Norman, connecting I-35 to Classen Boulevard, the contemporary routing of US-77.

This highway ran straight through the University of Oklahoma (OU) campus.