It runs south to north for 8.37 miles (13.47 km), from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Falmouth to US 1 in Yarmouth.

It is Foreside Road between the southern terminus and the Yarmouth town line beside Broad Cove, at which point it becomes Lafayette Street.

"Herbie", New England's oldest and largest elm tree for the final thirteen years of its existence, stood on Route 88 (East Main Street) in Yarmouth, at its intersection with Yankee Drive, between 1793 and 2010.

These include (heading northward) Portland Country Club, Skillins garden center and The Dockside Grill (all in Falmouth); Town Landing Market (which was once featured in a national Coca-Cola television commercial) (Falmouth Foreside); and the Lower Falls Landing plaza (Yarmouth).

[2] The section of road that runs between the Pleasant Street loop in Yarmouth did not formally exist prior to the construction of Route 88.