In the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, NY 48 was assigned to a previously unnumbered roadway between downtown Syracuse and Oswego. From Van Buren north to Oswego, NY 48 roughly followed its modern alignment; south of Van Buren, NY 48 was routed on State Fair Boulevard and Geddes Street to terminate at NY 5, then routed on Erie Boulevard. The route was realigned slightly within Syracuse between 1938 and 1940 to use portions of Hiawatha Boulevard and West Genesee Street (as well as a new portion of State Fair Boulevard) to meet NY 5 at the modern intersection of Erie Boulevard and Genesee Street.