The route originally followed local, substandard roads surrounding Otego Creek; however, it was gradually moved onto its modern alignment over the course of the 1930s.

The two-lane NY 205 heads northwestward from the exit, crossing the Interstate Highway and passing north of an office park built up alongside the freeway.

NY 205 and CR 11 continue northeastward, following loosely parallel alignments to the hamlet of Mount Vision in the northern part of the town.

[3] After leaving Mount Vision, the two roads parallel each other into the town of Hartwick, where both intersect with another highway crossing Otego Creek, CR 11D.

In the rural backdrop north of Jones Crossing, NY 205 intersects with CR 45's western terminus.

The two state routes initially head southeastward for roughly 1 mile (1.6 km); however, they soon curve to the northeast as they descend into a valley surrounding Oaks Creek, a tributary of the Susquehanna River.

[6] Functional classification is the process by which roads, streets, and highways are grouped into classes according to the character of service they provide.

[8] South of Hartwick, NY 205 ran adjacent to the Southern New York Railway, a scenic passenger and freight railroad that was once the corridor's main transportation artery.

[9] Work to replace or improve the existing roads began c. 1930 with the construction of a new highway between West Oneonta and modern CR 11A near Laurens that ran along the east side of Otego Creek.

[11] In late 1932, the section of NY 205 north of Hartwick was closed to traffic as part of a project to completely reconstruct the road.

[12][13] The eastern creekside highway between Mount Vision and Hartwick was upgraded c. 1938; as a result, NY 205 was rerouted once again to follow the improved road.