The route is maintained by the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD).

The route begins in northern Dallas County south of Tulip and serves as a lightly-used connection between Highway 9 and US 167, two primary north-south highways in the region.

Heading east, the route leaves the city limits and runs through pine forests typical of the Arkansas Timberlands and the Hampton Springs Cemetery, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

[3] Continuing east, Highway 48 terminates at an intersection with US 167 near the Grant County line.

Media related to Arkansas Highway 48 at Wikimedia Commons