MD 180 is the old alignment of US 340 between Knoxville and Frederick. The state highway was originally organized as a turnpike called the Frederick and Jefferson Turnpike between the two towns. This highway became one of the original state roads marked for improvement by the Maryland State Roads Commission in 1909. The commission purchased the right-of-way of the turnpike in 1911 and resurfaced the Frederick–Jefferson highway with a wide macadam surface in 1915. The segments from Jefferson to Petersville and from Petersville to Knoxville were placed under construction in 1911 and completed as a macadam road in 1912. The Frederick–Knoxville highway was widened to in width around 1926 and became part of US 340 in 1927. US 340 was widened again, this time to between Frederick and Knoxville, by 1934.