The road is one of a series of parkways built by predecessors of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, to provide access to parks and beaches in the Greater Boston area.

[2] The northern terminus of Quincy Shore Drive is at Hancock Street (Massachusetts Route 3A), just south of the Neponset River.

It runs northeasterly for about 1 mile (1.6 km) through a neighborhood area, reaching the Quincy Shore Reservation at a junction with East Squantum Street.

This section is four lanes wide (two in each direction), separated by a tree-lined median, with additional trees on the sides of the roadway providing an attractive canopy.

At East Squantum Street the road turns southeasterly to follow the shore for about 2 miles (3.2 km).