The road first appeared on a map in 1951 and originally signed as Secondary State Highway 12H (SSH 12H) in 1957, SR 411 was established in 1964 and ran from Kelso to Vader.

[6][7][8] The busiest segments of the road in 2007 were the SR 432 interchange in Longview, SR 411 Spur intersection in Kelso and the Alpha Drive intersection in West Side Highway, all with an estimated daily average of 17,000 motorists.

[9] The Nevada Drive junction in Kelso was the busiest segment in 1970, with an estimated daily average of 6,800 motorists.

[2][14] Between 1964 and 1991,[13][15] SR 411 was 9.46 miles (15.22 km) longer and extended north to Vader, a city in Lewis County.

[17] Between Castle Rock and Vader, six different railroads have had ownership or usage rights that paralleled the former route.

[1][4][21] The busiest segment of the street is the SR 411 intersection, with an estimated daily average of 15,000 motorists in 2007.