Highway 8 begins west of Calgary in a rural area of Rocky View County.

[3][4] In Rocky View County the highway is alternately designated as Township Road 241, and after it crosses Range Road 32 the speed limit reduces to 80 km/h (50 mph) as the highway bisects the estate residential area of Elbow Valley.

After a signalized intersection at Clearwater Drive / Lott Creek Boulevard, the highway then descends into the Elbow River valley before veering slightly north to cross the river, entering Calgary city limits almost immediately thereafter at 101 Street SW.[2] East of 101 Street SW, Highway 8 merges with Highway 201 with the roadway becoming part of Stoney Trail, with it becoming a freeway and meeting a stack interchange with Sarcee Trail and Glenmore Trail that opened in 2020.

When the residential community of Signal Hill was developed in the late 1980s and Highway 8 was realigned in 1992 to the south along a new two lane roadway which also served as a western extension of Glenmore Trail.

As part of the Southwest Ring Road construction, approximately 2 km (1.2 mi) Highway 8 was twinned west of Calgary city limits,[15] while a new Y-interchange at the eastern terminus of Highway 8 was scheduled to be completed in 2024 as part of the West Ring Road.