State Road 47 rolls gently through the farmland in Boone and eastern Montgomery Counties.

In western Montgomery and Parke Counties, segments of the road contain moderate hills and curves, especially near Turkey Run State Park.

State Road 47's initial segment ran northeast from U.S. Route 41 to Crawfordsville.

The next segment ran east from Crawfordsville through Sheridan to U.S. Route 31.

The portion of State Road 47 between Sheridan and U.S. Route 31 was later decommissioned.