The Perry City–Trumansburg portion of NY 79 became an extension of NY 227 in the early 1940s. NY 79 was then truncated southward to its junction with NY 227 in Perry City. In the early 1960s, NY 79 was rerouted to follow a previously unnumbered highway west of Mecklenburg to NY 227. From there, NY 79 continued to Watkins Glen over the routing of NY 227. As a result, NY 227 was truncated to its current southern terminus south of Reynoldsville. The former routing of NY 79 from Mecklenburg to Perry City became part of an extended NY 228.