It continues this direction until Newcastle, where it begins heading east and then southeast.

After a junction with Pinto Road, it leaves the Harmony Mountains, enters Cedar Valley, then the route heads northeast until entering Cedar City, where it runs east until its eastern terminus.

The portion of SR-56 from Iron Springs Road west of Cedar City to the eastern terminus at SR-130 is part of the National Highway System.

Two branches from SR-56 to Iron Mountain were added in 1935: State Route 120 directly south from about the midpoint, and State Route 198 from near the Cedar City end southwest via Iron Mountain to the Dixie National Forest in the direction of Pinto.

[11] Media related to Utah State Route 56 at Wikimedia Commons