The highway runs 5.64 miles (9.08 km) from the beginning of state maintenance in Forest Heights east to MD 5 in Silver Hill.

MD 414 heads north as a four-lane divided highway, passing to the west of Tanger Outlets National Harbor.

The state highway intersects Monument Avenue, which heads west to National Harbor, and the entrance to a park and ride lot located east of the road.

From here, the route expands to six lanes and passes under a pair of long connectors between the three Interstate Highways and MD 210.

The latter highway leads to historic St. Ignatius Church; Rosecroft Raceway, a harness racing facility; and the community of Temple Hills.

[1][2] East of Temple Hill Road in the center of Marlow Heights, MD 414 expands to a six-lane divided highway.

Just north of the intersection, MD 414 curves west as two-lane Old Silver Hill Road and passes the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility, a support facility for the National Air and Space Museum.

This segment was built as part of a 14-foot-wide (4.3 m) gravel road from the District of Columbia south to Camp Springs in 1911.

[14][15] The portion of the state highway from Oxon Hill Manor to MD 210 was transferred to county maintenance in 1955.

MD 414A is the designation for the 0.07-mile (0.11 km) segment of Old Silver Hill Road immediately to the north of Bonita Street adjacent to MD 414's northern terminus in Silver Hill.