PA 316 begins at the Maryland border in Washington Township, heading north on two-lane undivided Wayne Highway.

The route makes a curve to the northwest and leaves Waynesboro for Washington Township, becoming Wayne Highway again as it heads into agricultural areas with scattered development.

[2][3] The route heads farther from the Lurgan Subdivision as it turns northwest into Guilford Township and becomes Wayne Road, passing through a mix of farms, woods, and homes.

The road comes to a bridge over the CSX line and passes more farms before heading into commercial areas and widening into a four-lane divided highway as it has an interchange with I-81.

The route comes to a bridge over Norfolk Southern's Lurgan Branch railroad line and passes near industrial establishments before heading north near more homes on 2nd Street and ending at northbound US 11.

The route followed Anthony Highway, State Hill Road, and Clayton Avenue north to PA 16 in Waynesboro before it picked up its present alignment to Chambersburg.

In addition, the current route along Wayne Highway and Potomac Street south of Waynesboro became a southern extension of PA 997 in 1937, which was paved.