The road runs through the community of Walnut Hill and serves primarily to connect Pensacola to the northwest Escambia County and Atmore areas.

SR 97 heads northwest from its southern terminus at County Road 95A, just east of passing under U.S. Highway 29/SR 95, in Molino.

The road heads northwest through rural Escambia County and slowly turns into a northerly direction as it approaches Walnut Hill, north of which it is also known as Atmore Highway.

It appears that the portion of today's SR 97 from Walnut Hill (starting around mile 15) to its northern terminus corresponds to this 1922 auto trail.

[6] By 1955, SR 4 is being shown as a bituminous road, with its start at the intersection with US 29/SR 95 (now CR 95A) west of Molino, and traveling its current routing to Atmore.