It begins in Aachen at the German–Belgian border (Belgian motorway A3) and ends near Kassel (Bundesautobahn 7).

[clarification needed] It was constructed to be a runway for US-military aircraft in the event of war with NATO's opponent, the Warsaw Pact.

Between the Dortmund-Unna and Kassel-Süd (Kassel south) interchanges, the A 44 is part of the European route E 331.

When construction is complete, the interchange will have the following connections: Near Kassel, the Autobahn will be extended to Thuringia.

When the open cast mine was exhausted, expected in 2017[needs update], a new section of the A 44 was built across the A 61.