The highway runs north–south from the South Carolina state line, near Cashiers, to US 23 Business in Sylva.

Between WCU and Cashiers (about 18 miles (29 km)), the highway is a winding mountain road, and continues in this manner all the way to the South Carolina state border.

In 1940, the highway was rerouted south of Cherokee, replacing NC 107E; it then went concurrently with US 19 (now US 74/US 441) and Haywood Road (SR 1514) to Dillsboro and Sylva (now US 23 Bus).

[2] In 1994, the "Southern Loop" was added to the Jackson County thoroughfare plan that was to connect NC 107 with US 23/US 441 south of Dillsboro to US 23/US 74 east of Sylva; in 2003, it was added to the North Carolina Department of Transportation's (NCDOT) State Transportation Improvement Program as R-4745.

The project includes widening lanes to twelve feet (3.7 m) from the current nine-foot (2.7 m) width and paving shoulders.