It runs from Illinois Route 154 in Eden to Illinois Route 15 in rural Washington County.

[1] Illinois 153 runs northeast from Eden to Coulterville, where it overlaps Illinois Route 13 through the central part of town.

Illinois 153 is a rural, two-lane surface road for its entire length.

In 1938 it was truncated further to its current northern end.

The next year, Illinois 153 was extended south to Sparta; at some point in the future, this was dropped.