A roadway has existed since before 1926, connecting Toppenish and Prosser near the current alignment of SR 22, however the roadway was incomplete, with a gap existing between Satus and Mabton. The gap in the roadway was completed by 1933, and the segment between Toppenish and Prosser was numbered Secondary State Highway 3A (SSH 3A) by 1939, while the segment between the current I-82 and US 97 was originally numbered as part of Primary State Highway 8 (PSH 8). These designations remained until the 1964 state highway renumbering, when SSH 3A and the small segment of PSH 8 were renumbered SR 22. Before the completion of I-82 through the area, SR 22 continued into the town of Buena, however now that the interstate has been completed, SR 22 has been truncated to the interstate.