[1] The road starts 2.5 miles (4 km) south east of Wrexham at Marchwiel by a junction on the A525 road.

[2] It heads due south through Cock Bank and Overton Bridge before combining with the A539 road and going eastwards through the village of Overton-on-Dee.

It then heads south east through to Ellesmere, where it shares a small section of road with the A495, before heading south through Crosemere, Harmer Hill, Albrighton and intersecting with the A5124 at Harlescott north east of Shrewsbury.

The final short section into Shrewsbury goes over the Shrewsbury-Chester railway line and intersects with the A5191 in Shrewsbury town centre.

A small stub going northwards only (due to the one-way system in Shrewsbury) starts off the A458 road.