The highway travels north through flat rural farmland and soon crosses the Black Vermillion River.

K-87 continues north through rural farmland for roughly five miles (8.0 km) to an intersection with Navajo Road by the Salem Church.

[8][9] In October 1932, the Kansas State Highway Commission (SHC) announced that it had allocated $1,991.94 (equivalent to $36,226 in 2023 dollars)[10] to build a 0.5-mile-long (0.80 km) spur from Vliets north to K-9.

[12] The next month, the SHC approved a bid of $4,445 (equivalent to $77,753 in 2023 dollars)[10] to add a gravel surface to K-87.

[13] In a resolution approved on September 11, 1946, the K-87 was to extend north to US-36 as soon as Marshall County had brought the road up to state highway standards.

[14] By mid-1947, the county had finished necessary projects and in a resolution approved on July 9, 1947, it was added to the state highway system.

[10][15] In early February 1958, the SHC asked for bids to be received to pave the entire length of K-87.