It is a two-lane uncontrolled access highway that runs nearly the entire length of the province, from Tignish to Souris.

It passes through the cities of Summerside and Charlottetown and roughly parallels the former primary railway line through the province, which was abandoned in 1989.

Route 2 is commonly called the "All Weather Highway," as it was one of the first roads in Prince Edward Island to be open for traffic in all seasons.

[3] Transportation minister Don MacKinnon said that the designation honoured the highway's vital role in the Second World War, when it provided "a transportation link to the military facilities of CFB Summerside and the air training facility in Mount Pleasant".

[3] Route 2 has several local names: The portion of the highway running through the farming hamlet of Mount Pleasant west of Summerside was diverted for several years during the 1940s with the establishment of an air force base named RCAF Station Mount Pleasant.