It runs from east to west connecting the town of Dessau-Roßlau with the Harz mountain region.

[1] Between Kleinpaschleben and Dessau-Roßlau the B 185 is part of the German Avenue Road.

The present Bundesstraße 185 links the most important Residenz towns of the former Principality of Anhalt.

Only the section between Aschersleben and Ermsleben lay on Prussian territory.

The 64.7 km long Reichsstraße 185 between Dessau and Aschersleben was built around 1937.