It travels within portions of Muscogee, Harris, Talbot, Meriwether, Coweta, Fayette, and Clayton counties.

It connects the Columbus and Forest Park areas, via Manchester, Woodbury, Senoia, Fayetteville, and Riverdale.

SR 85's northbound lanes continue for another 3,000 feet (910 m), and then they end at a U-turn to go back to the south.

However, the southbound lanes start at a partial interchange with I-75 (which does not have access from I-75 north to SR 85) and I-285, approximately 1,500 feet (460 m) farther to the north-northeast.

[2][3] By the middle of 1933, the portion of the highway from about Ellerslie to Warm Springs had a "sand clay or top soil" surface.

[7][8] The next year, the segment of the highway just south-southwest of Warm Springs was shifted westward to a curve into the city.

[14][15] By the middle of the year, a portion from approximately halfway between Waverly Hall and Shiloh to Warm Springs was under construction.

[15][16] Near the end of the year, the entire highway from Columbus to just south-southwest of Waverly Hall had a completed hard surface.

The portion just north-northeast of Riverdale was under construction, while the rest of the Riverdale–Hapeville segment had completed grading, but was not surfaced.

[20][21] The year ended with the segment from Waverly Hall to Warm Springs having a completed hard surface.

From Manchester to approximately halfway between it and Woodbury, as well as the Gay–Oakland and Clayton County portions, SR 85 was under construction.

[25][26] At the end of the year, a portion of SR 85 just east-northeast of Manchester, as well as a segment from the Fayette–Clayton county line to Riverdale, had a completed hard surface.

Its old path between south of Shiloh and Warm Springs was redesignated as a southerly extension of SR 163.

The entire length of SR 85 from Columbus to Chalybeate Springs had a completed hard surface.

The segment of SR 85 from just north-northwest of Gay to Starrs Mill had a completed hard surface.

[41][42] Between 1963 and 1966, the northern terminus was truncated to its current location in the extreme western part of Forest Park.

is a 18.7-mile-long (30.1 km) alternate route of SR 85 that connects the Shiloh and Woodbury areas, via Warm Springs.

[2][3] By the middle of 1933, the portion of the highway from about Ellerslie to Warm Springs had a "sand clay or top soil" surface.

[7][8] The next year, the segment of the highway just south-southwest of Warm Springs was shifted westward to a curve into the city.

[13][14] By the middle of the year, a portion from approximately halfway between Waverly Hall and Shiloh to Warm Springs was under construction.

[15][16] Near the end of the year, the entire highway from Columbus to just south-southwest of Waverly Hall had a completed hard surface.

[19][20] The year ended with the segment from Waverly Hall to Warm Springs having a completed hard surface.

Its old path between south of Shiloh and Warm Springs was redesignated as a southerly extension of SR 163.