The Shawnee Mission Parkway mainly functions to connect the main cities included in the Shawnee Mission, KS mailing address.

The Shawnee Mission Parkway begins at a full cloverleaf interchange at K-7 near Zarah and heads east as a four-lane divided highway.

Passing by Westwood, US 169 splits from the Shawnee Mission Parkway and heads north at an intersection.

Shawnee Mission Parkway was once concurrent with K-10 as it followed from K-7 to Merriam Drive.

When the entire expressway was completed from Lawrence to I-435 in Lenexa, K-10 was signed for the entire freeway, and K-12 was realigned to follow the old K-10 routing on Shawnee Mission Parkway to Merriam Drive.