The road's eastern terminus is north of Cotton City at the highway's junction with NM 338.

NM 145 begins at the junction with NM 80, right after the road passes through the southern edge of Peloncillo Mountains, skirting the old lead mines.

The road heads east through the arid sparsely populated desert plains occupied by ranchos.

After 3.5 miles the road reaches its eastern terminus at the intersection with NM 338, just north of Cotton City.

In 1988 the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) went through a radical road renumbering program, and the local road was transferred to the State control, and designated as NM 145.