The route begins at the California-Nevada state line about 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Nipton.

The highway treks east from there, curving slightly northeast to pass by the McCullough Range.

At the northern tip of the mountains surrounding Crescent Peak, the highway turns slightly more southeast and decreases in elevation as it heads towards Searchlight, Nevada.

SR 164 reaches its eastern terminus at the junction with US 95 in the center of Searchlight; however, the roadway continues east as Cottonwood Cove Road, entering the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and ending near Cottonwood Cove.

[4][5] In 1976, the Nevada Department of Transportation began a project to renumber the state highway system.