I-185 also carries the unsigned State Route 411 (SR 411) and is named the Chet Atkins Parkway for its entire length.

I-185 begins just north of Fort Moore in the southwestern part of Columbus, which is consolidated with Muscogee County.

It starts off as a northern extension of Lindsey Creek Parkway which enters Fort Moore immediately to the south of I-185's southern terminus.

After crossing over the Fall Line Trace, it has an interchange with US 27 Alternate (US 27 Alt)/SR 85 (Manchester Expressway).

Almost immediately is a cloverleaf interchange with US 80/SR 22 (J.R. Allen Parkway), a limited-access bypass of Columbus to its north.

At the northern end of this interchange, the highway leaves the city limits of Columbus and enters Harris County.

It curves back to the north-northwest and crosses over some railroad tracks of CSX Transportation on the southeastern edge of LaGrange.

It leaves the city limits of LaGrange and travels under a bridge that carries SR 109.

[5][6] In 1966, the highway that would eventually become I-185 was under construction from its current southern terminus to Buena Vista Road, which, at the time, was signed as SR 357.

[17] With the widespread proliferation of cellular phone service and usage, the emergency callboxes were removed from I-185 around 2015.

[citation needed] In 2006, business and government officials in Southwest Georgia began a campaign to have the Interstate extended to Monticello, Florida, and connect with I-10.

[19] Critics argued that the proposed Interstate would siphon business from small towns that the new road bypassed.

[19] In 2009, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) concluded a two-year study of the proposal, which found that extending I-185 would "be inconsistent with existing comprehensive land use plans; would have a negative impact on prime agricultural land, forests and cultural assets; and could have a detrimental impact on poverty and minority populations".

[20] GDOT announced it would instead focus on upgrading and improving other key arterial highways in southwest Georgia, including SR 133 between Albany and Valdosta.

[citation needed] Currently, I-14, is proposed to go through Columbus, following the route of US 80/SR 22/SR 540, also known as the Fall Line Freeway.