The route serves as a connector across parts of Muskingum, Guernsey, and Noble counties, linking several small towns and rural areas.

Since its establishment, SR 313 has undergone several extensions and realignments, ultimately taking on its current form by the mid-1970s.

In 1935, the highway was extended eastward to a new terminus at [State Route 285](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_State_Route_285) in Senecaville, marking its first significant extension.

Two years later, in 1937, SR 313 was extended westward to reach its current western terminus at [State Route 146](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_State_Route_146).

This westward extension provided an important link between Senecaville and Zanesville, further integrating the route into the state's highway network.