The highway begins traveling east through flat rural farmlands, and after about .5 miles (0.80 km) it crosses Badger Creek, a tributary of the Neosho River.

The highway continues east for 1.5 miles (2.4 km) then intersects Road T, which travels north to Lyon County State Lake.

It continues east for 5.3 miles (8.5 km) through more flat rural farmlands then enters the city of Reading.

K-170 quickly downgrades back to two lanes and crosses the Marias des Cygnes River about one mile (1.6 km) later.

After crossing Cable Creek, it intersects West 301st Street, which leads to the Eisenhower State Park.

The highway passes by Osage City Reservoir, then expands to four lanes and has an at-grade crossing with the BNSF Railroad track again.

The eastern terminus (K-31) was part of the former National Old Trails Road, which was established in 1912, and stretched from Baltimore, Maryland to California.