It provides direct access to the city of Hudson from the Rip Van Winkle Bridge whereas NY 23 bypasses it to the south.

The intersection borders the grounds of the Olana State Historic Site and is 300 yards (270 m) west of the Columbia-Greene Community College campus.

[5] From NY 23, the two-lane road heads northeast through rural, wooded areas until it reaches the city of Hudson.

[7][8] The Rip Van Winkle Bridge over the Hudson River between Catskill and Greenport was opened to traffic on July 2, 1935;[9] however, NY 23 was not realigned to use the structure until the Athens–Hudson ferry was shut down in the late 1940s.

[10][11] In the late 1950s, NY 23 was realigned between the east end of the bridge and Claverack to follow a new, more southerly alignment via Bell Pond.