SR 10 follows the route of the Roslyn branch of the Northern Pacific Railway, built in the Yakima River valley by the late 1890s. A roadway was built in the valley and incorporated into the Inland Empire Highway in 1913 and the Southern Division of the Sunset Highway in 1919. The highway became part of State Road 3 in 1923, which was co-signed with US 10 and US 97 during the creation of the United States Numbered Highways in 1926. State Road 3 became PSH 3 during the creation of the primary and secondary state highways in 1937, still co-signed with US 10 and US 97 through the Yakima River valley. US 10 was temporarily re-aligned over Blewett Pass in the late 1930s, leaving US 97 alone in the Yakima River valley, until US 10 was moved back to its original route in 1946 after US 2 was extended west from Idaho. During the 1964 highway renumbering, US 10 completely replaced PSH 3 as I-90 was being planned along its route. I-90 opened between Vantage and Snoqualmie Pass in November 1968 and SR 10 replaced US 10 when the state highways were codified in 1970. US 97 was moved onto former SR 131 between Thorp and Virden in 1975, leaving SR 10 without a concurrency and creating SR 970.