The southern terminus is located just north of West Point at an intersection with U.S. Highway 275.

Its northern terminus is at an intersection with Nebraska Highway 12 just south of Ponca.

Nebraska Highway 9 heads due north into farmland from its intersection with U.S. Highway 275 while US 275 turns northwest just north of West Point, Nebraska.

It continues north through Emerson, meets Nebraska Highway 35, and turns west with NE 35.

It goes north through Martinsburg, then turns east and northeast to end just south of Ponca.