Its southern terminus is at Massey's Landing in Long Neck, near the confluence of Rehoboth Bay and Indian River Bay and its northern terminus is at the Five Points intersection in Nassau, where it ends at U.S. Route 9 (US 9)/DE 404.

From here, the route heads west on two-lane undivided Long Neck Road through a mix of residential areas and marshland between Rehoboth Bay to the north and Indian River Bay to the south.

The road winds west through homes, commercial development, and a few farms, passing south of the Baywood Greens golf course.

The two routes head northwest and cross Guinea Creek, passing through a mix of farmland and woodland with some housing subdivisions, intersecting Harmons Hill Road/Phillips Branch Road.

The road comes to a roundabout with Quiet Harbor Way at the entrance to the Anchors Run housing development before curving northeast and crossing Bundicks Branch.

[3][4] The section of DE 23 between the southern terminus and the north end of the DE 5 concurrency serves as part of a primary hurricane evacuation route from the Long Neck area to points inland.

[6] The portion of the present route that is concurrent with DE 5 was upgraded to a state highway by 1931.

[11] On October 15, 2021, a roundabout opened at the entrance to the Anchors Run housing development.