The highway runs 13.6 miles (21.9 km) from Dalton northeast and, then, north, to the Tennessee state line, northeast of Cohutta, where the roadway continues as Tennessee State Route 60.

SR 71 begins at an intersection with US 41/US 76/SR 3 in Dalton as the Cleveland Highway.

South of the intersection, the roadway continues as North Glenwood Avenue.

It then turns northeast before heading north for the rest of its routing.

About two miles before the Tennessee State Line, the route narrows to two lanes.