CR 514 begins at an intersection with US 202/Route 31 in East Amwell Township, Hunterdon County, heading northeast on two-lane undivided Old York Road.

Here, the route begins to curve to the east-northeast as it comes to the CR 617 intersection, narrowing back to two lanes.

[1][3] Upon crossing Mile Run Stream, CR 514 enters New Brunswick in Middlesex County and becomes unsigned and city maintained.

After an interchange with Route 18, the road crosses the Raritan River on the Albany Street Bridge into Highland Park.

CR 514 splits from Route 27 by heading east on Woodbridge Avenue, where Middlesex County maintenance begins and signage resumes.

Upon entering Edison, CR 676 intersects the route before it widens into a four-lane divided highway and interchanges with US 1.

The road crosses Conrail Shared Assets Operations' Bonhamtown Industrial Track line and intersects CR 531, making a turn to the east.

CR 514 turns northeast past more commercial development and intersects Raritan Center Parkway before coming to an interchange complex that has access to the New Jersey Turnpike and Route 440, I-287.

CR 514 passes over both the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway simultaneously before heading into business areas as a four-lane road and reaching an interchange with US 9.

Here, the road becomes two lanes again and passes homes before heading into the commercial downtown of Woodbridge at the Route 35 intersection.

The route crosses Conrail Shared Assets Operations' Port Reading Secondary line prior to intersecting CR 650.

At the CR 613 junction, the route turns northwest onto East Grand Avenue and passes under the Northeast Corridor.

The route enters Linden and heads past industry as it crosses an abandoned railroad branch.

The road runs through more urban areas of businesses and industry as it reaches the Park Avenue (CR 616) junction.