It provides the major road link between southeastern Queensland and Victoria via central NSW and as such carries large amounts of freight.

At 1,058 kilometres (657 mi)[1][4] in length, the Newell is the longest highway in NSW,[5] and passes through fifteen local government areas.

From its northern terminus at Goondiwindi in Queensland, where it meets the Cunningham and Leichhardt Highways, and forms the southward extension of Cunningham Highway from Warwick and Brisbane, the Newell runs south across the Queensland-New South Wales border through Boggabilla, Moree, Narrabri, Coonabarabran, Gilgandra, Dubbo, Parkes, Forbes, West Wyalong, Narrandera, Jerilderie, and Finley.

The highway runs generally north–south, parallel to the coast of NSW but about 400 kilometres (250 mi) inland, and is the most direct road link from Victoria to southeastern Queensland, bypassing the more urbanised and congested coastal areas of the state, and in doing so avoiding the difficult coastal topography of the New South Wales North Coast, traversed by Pacific Highway.

Some sections of the Newell Highway are subject to periodic flooding from these rivers,[4] particularly north of Moree,[9] at Dubbo,[10] and south of Narrandera.

In Dubbo, the largest urban centre through which the highway passes, average daily traffic volumes are in the order of 20,000 vehicles a day.

[8] Before its declaration, Newell Highway existed as a collection of unrelated roads, many gazetted as separate entities.

126 was declared from Boggabilla via Moree and Bellata to Narrabri (and continuing southeast via Boggabri and Gunnedah to Qurindi),[2] Main Road No.

235 was declared from Forbes to Marsden (and continuing southwards via Morangarell and Stockinbingal to Cootamundra),[2] and Main Road No.

Town centre bypasses have been provided in Moree, Dubbo, Parkes and West Wyalong (heavy vehicle route).