SR 160 was originally part of SR 16 from Pahrump north to US 95. SR 16 was one of Nevada's original state highways dating back to the 1920s. It began at the Nevada–California border in an area of Pahrump Valley near Cathedral Canyon, part of the historic Hidden Hills Ranch south of Pahrump, traveling north to Pahrump over Hidden Hills Ranch Road. From there, it continued north over present-day SSR 160 to meet SR 5, which was absorbed into and redesignated US 95 on January 1, 1940.