The northern segment begins at an intersection with SR 352 near Ambia and heads north passing through the community of Raub before ending at U.S. Highway 24/U.S.

The road heads north from its southern terminus at SR 163, in the town of Blanford.

SR 71 passes through the town before entering rural Vermillion County, parallel to the Illinois-Indiana state line.

[4] The northern segment of SR 71 is 17.5 miles (28.2 km) long in Benton and Newton Counties.

The road passes through the town of Raub where it crosses the Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad.

North of Raub the road crosses a railroad track before the SR 71 designation ends at an intersection with US 24/US 52 west of Kentland.