The road connects Royapuram in the north with Quibble Island in the south.

As the main thoroughfare connecting the erstwhile Whitetown and Blacktown, the road has several historical landmarks dating back to the colonial era.

Once the seat of power, Rajaji Salai still retains its importance with several important buildings, including Fort St. George, Chennai Port Trust, Reserve Bank of India, Chennai District Collectorate and the Madras High Court.

More historical and heritage buildings are located on important streets around Rajaji Salai, such as the Armenian Church, the Anderson Church, the Gokhale Hall, the State Bank of India local head office, Dare House and the Collectorate Building.

During the regime of former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj, the present subway on Rajaji Salai was constructed, replacing the level crossing between Chennai Beach and Chennai Fort stations.