Starting in Anthony and ending in Las Cruces, NM 478 was once a section of historic US 80, a major transcontinental highway between San Diego, California and Savannah, Georgia.

In 1946, it also became part of U.S. Route 85, when the latter highway was extended south to the Mexican border in El Paso, Texas.

[3] NM 1 continued past Las Cruces through Albuquerque and Santa Fe to the Colorado state line near Raton.

The Dixie Overland Highway was the first marked route to run between Savannah, Georgia and southern California.

[5] The auto trail entered New Mexico through Anthony from El Paso, Texas, then traveled north to Mesilla Park where it turned west to Deming, Lorsburg and Steins, before heading south into Rodeo and southwest into Arizona towards Douglas.

[6] By 1920, the Bankhead Highway was also designated over the southern part of NM 1, further joined by the Old Spanish Trail in 1923.

[12] In 1946, US 85 was extended south to the Mexican border in El Paso, multiplexing with US 80 from Las Cruces into Texas.

[13][14] In 1956, US 80 and US 85 were moved onto a new alignment between Anthony and Las Cruces bypassing the older route through Berino, Vado, Mesquite, Fillmore and Mesilla Park.

A few miles after passing a Y-shaped intersection with Show Road, a county maintained highway leading to Mesilla, NM 478 enters the Las Cruces metro area becoming Main Street.

[16] Along the highway between Anthony and Las Cruces are several old businesses and relics from the era when NM 478 was part of US 80 and US 85.