The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 98 north of the village of Albion in the town of Gaines.

NY 279 is a rural connector highway that serves only one community, the hamlet of Waterport on the banks of Oak Orchard Creek in Carlton.

[4][5] In Carlton, NY 279 deviates from its northwesterly routing and heads due west to serve the hamlet of Waterport situated on the Oak Orchard River.

[4][6] The route briefly follows the northern bank of the river, then veers north to serve Waterport Station, a small community centered around the former grade crossing between NY 279 and the Hojack Line.

Just east of the junction, NY 18 intersects the western end of the Lake Ontario State Parkway.

The two routes then embarked on an overlap through Albion to Gaines Road, at which point NY 209 split off to the northwest toward the hamlet of Waterport.