The pass varies from 400 yards (370 m) to 1.25 miles (2 km) in width, and its summit is some 600–700 feet (180–210 m) above the plain.

[1] The pass traverses the Khigana Mountains, which stretch from the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas towards Attock.

British authorities in Peshawar commenced construction of the Kohat Pass road in 1849,[2] and completed it by 1850 despite violent opposition from local tribes.

[2] The pass was closed temporarily in 1853 after a quarrel arose among nearby tribes.

[2] Travel times across the pass were dramatically reduced with the opening of the Kohat Tunnel in 2003.