It runs from State Route 860 near Derby Field east on Westergard Road and north on Meridian Road into Lovelock.

Until the 1976 renumbering, most of SR 397 was State Route 59, defined by 1937.

[2] At one point, SR 397 only used Westergard Road east of Westfall Road, turning north there to return to I-80/US 95 at Perth.

[3] Later, possibly when SR 860 was added, Westfall Road was dropped and SR 397 was extended west to meet SR 860.

The entire route is in Pershing County.