It is concurrent with U.S. Route 19 (US 19) from its southern terminus, in northwest Atlanta, to Roswell Road at Interstate 285 (I-285), in Sandy Springs.

Along its length, SR 9 travels through the cities of Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, Cumming, Dawsonville, and Dahlonega.

At its furthest southern point, SR 9 begins at the intersection of US 19 (14th Street N.W.)

It travels to the east to an intersection with West Peachtree Street N.W., and turns north here, shortly after crossing over I-75.

[1] The following portions of SR 9 are part of the National Highway System, a system of routes determined to be the most important for the nation's economy, mobility, and defense: SR 9 was established at least as early as 1919 along its current route.

[4][5] By the end of 1926, it had a "completed hard surface" from Atlanta to the northern part of Sandy Springs, a "sand clay or top soil" surface from the northern part of Sandy Springs to just southwest of Dahlonega, a "completed semi-hard surface" from just southwest of Dahlonega to that city.

[8][9] The next month, the highway had a completed semi-hard surface from the Forsyth–Dawson county line to just north of it and from just northeast of Dahlonega to its northern terminus.

[9][10] In September of that year, it had a completed semi-hard surface from just north of the Forsyth–Dawson county line to Dawsonville and a sand clay or top soil surface from Dawsonville to just southwest of Dahlonega.

[13][14] By the middle of 1933, SR 9 was under construction from the northern part of Sandy Springs to the Fulton–Forsyth county line.

[14][15] By the end of the year, it had a completed hard surface from the northern part of Sandy Springs to the Fulton–Forsyth county line.

[16][17] A few months later, it was under construction from the Fulton–Forsyth county line to Cumming and from Dawsonville to just southwest of Dahlonega.

[24][25] A few months later, SR 9 was under construction from just northeast of Dahlonega to a point about halfway between that city and its northern terminus.

US 19 traveled on a more easterly routing, northeast to SR 53, and then followed that highway northwest to Dawsonville.

[34][35] Later that year, the I-285/SR 400 interchange was built, and SR 400 was under construction from I-285 to a point southeast of Roswell.

The road changes names to Lumpkin Campground Road as it enters Dawson County, passes by the North Georgia Premium Outlet Mall, then crosses SR 53 and SR 400 in rapid succession.