In a curving fashion, the highway passes through the towns of Maxeys and Stephens, and then enters Lexington.

The four routes head concurrent to the southeast, until SR 77 splits off in the southeastern part of town.

Less than 1 mile (1.6 km) after the county line, the route meets the western terminus of SR 77 Spur.

The three routes head to the west-northwest, to an intersection with SR 51 (Chandler Street), which joins the concurrency.

Then, it heads north-northwest to and intersection with SR 59 (Knox Bridge Crossing Road), northeast of Lavonia.

Immediately north of GA 17/72 the route runs beneath a railroad bridge for the CSX Abbeville Subdivision.

At the headquarters for the Elbert County Fire Department and Coroner near the intersection with Mahoney Drive, the road curves from the northeast to the northwest.

It zigzags to the northeast, until it meets its eastern terminus, an intersection with SR 181 (Smith McGee Highway), at a spot just west of the South Carolina state line.