It connects Yee Wo Street on the east in Causeway Bay, at the junction with East Point Road, Jardine's Bazaar and Great George Street in East Point, through Bowrington, to Queensway on its western end in Wan Chai.

It is a two-way road with two to three lanes of traffic on each side, which is shared by tram services.

The road is named after John Pope Hennessy, the Governor of Hong Kong between 1877 and 1882.

The portion of the road passing through Causeway Bay was one of the locations occupied during the 2014 Hong Kong protests.

The tram once set up its terminal at the end of this street in 20th century (the former site of the Times Square).