The route runs through or near the cities and settlements of Khimki, Zelenograd, Solnechnogorsk, Klin, Tver, Torzhok, Vyshny Volochyok, Valdai, Kresttsy, Veliky Novgorod, Chudovo, Tosno and reaches the city border of Saint Petersburg in Pushkinsky District.

In Moscow, the Leningrad Highway (Russian: Ленинградское шоссе), begins from a junction of Leningradsky Prospekt avenue with the Volokolamsk Highway To the Moscow centre, the avenue continues into 1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya Street and then Tverskaya Street to Manege Square in the heart of the city.

The 'unofficial' end of the highway is since the Tsars' era commonly considered to be the Central Post Office of Saint Petersburg (Russian: Главпочтамт).

Actually the Moscow Highway begins from the Victory Square in Moskovsky raion in the southern part of the city and Moskovsky Prospekt avenue which begins in the city centre on Sennaya Square, connects the highway with the centre of Saint Petersburg.

From Saint Petersburg city centre to the Finnish border the distance is approximately 210 km.

The road crosses the river Sister (a tributary of the Dubna, near Klin), Volga (in Tver), Msta (near Novoselitsy), Volkhov (at Krechevitsy), etc.